Spiced Hot Chocolate

January 19, 2011

Snow is a mandatory part of winter for me. If I’m going to be freezing my buns off, I might as well have something beautiful to look at. Cold with no snow kind of makes me think – why bother? I’d rather have a beach.

Now, keep in mind that I live in Kentucky and not in a northern state where snow fall is plentiful. However, I will say I spent many a winter day trekking through deep snow on Purdue’s campus.

There is a bit of a catch when it comes to enjoying snow in central Kentucky. What you get in beautiful horse farms covered in white, you pay for in the public freaking out when snow is predicted.

The state is on a bit of an imaginary line when it comes to winter weather and snow fall. Some years we get it and some years we don’t. It could go either way. Seeing how many people feel very strongly about their southern roots and warm temps, most would prefer that we didn’t get any at all. So you can imagine what it is like here right now with the recent prediction of 3 to 5 inches starting tomorrow afternoon.

Yes, I can hear my readers in the great white north laughing from here. Truth is it only takes a prediction of a half inch for the supermarket shelves to be wiped clean of milk, bread and toilet paper.

Despite the madness, there is nothing like a winter night in, awaiting snow. It happens to be the perfect moment for some really good hot chocolate. It also doesn’t hurt to put it in a really cute mug.

My limited time curled up on the couch so far this winter as been spent doing two things. Practicing my knitting which I just began to learn this month as part of a new years resolution, and planning our garden for this spring. I’ve been paging through seed catalogs and I think we are going to have to buy some more property to accommodate all I want to grow!

Whether you are spending your winter nights reading or working on your laptop, this spiced hot chocolate will warm you up.

Spiced Hot Chocolate

This recipe serves one. Double as needed and feel free to add more or less of any of the ingredients to your taste.

2 to 3 each of whole spices – clove, cardamom, black peppercorns, allspice
1 to 1 ½ cups milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp sugar (I used Dememara)

Place the spices in a tea ball or in a piece of cheesecloth tied off at the top. Anything that will allow you to steep it is fine.

Heat the milk, cocoa powder and sugar over medium high heat. Whisk well to incorporate the cocoa. Place the spice ball into the milk.

Heat the hot chocolate 2 to 3 minutes being careful to keep it under a boil, just barely at a simmer. Stir often. Once hot and the spices have been given time to infuse the milk it is ready to serve.

Serve in your favorite mug, curl up and enjoy!

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  • Chow and Chatter January 19, 2011 at 9:15 pm

    lovely recipe great idea to add spices

  • Andrea (Off Her Cork) January 20, 2011 at 8:21 am

    Lori your pictures for this post are fantastic! Great job! 🙂 I also adore the mug which is just too cute.

    I’m not a big hot chocolate drinker (it makes me thirsty) but I admit that the spiced versions do intrigue me!

  • kat January 20, 2011 at 11:18 am

    Ok, I won’t laugh at you from my Northern perch with 50+ inches of snow & temps at -30 🙂 I love spiced hot chocolate! Our local coffee place has been doing a spice mocha all winter that I am addicted too.

  • emily (a nutritionist eats) January 20, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    Hot Chocolate sounds wonderful right now. I don’t think I’ve ever made it from scratch!
    (Also perfect for the -20 degrees predicted for tonight!)

  • Joy January 20, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    That might just be the cutest cup I ever did see!

  • Michelle @ Find Your Balance January 20, 2011 at 4:26 pm

    Yes! Everyone is crazy scared of snow down here! There was a teensy bit of ice the other day and they closed the schools. Ha. But I”m glad I’m not still in Boston for the winter they’ve been getting.

  • MelindaRD January 20, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    Great idea! I can’t believe how much snow everyone has been having back in the US. Even though it is not so cold here, I still enjoy my hot chocolate.

  • Marianne (frenchfriestoflaxseeds) January 21, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    That is one adorable mug – definitely gives the hot chocolate that extra little something, no?

    And we freak out when there are snowfall warnings of the same amount you get in Kentucky, so I understand completely.

  • Lori January 21, 2011 at 8:39 pm

    Rebecca – Thanks! I’m almost to the point where I don’t like hot chocolate that isn’t spiced up. 🙂

    Andrea – Thanks! I love that mug. I agree, it makes me thirsty too. I just can’t seem to pass up chocolate. 🙂

    kat and emily – And wouldn’t you know. It was exactly you two I had in mind when I wrote this post. ;)Stay warm!

    Joy – I got it from a friend a few years ago. I love it!

    Michelle – Ha! The reaction is definitely something it takes time to get used to.

    Melinda – I often have a cup at night in the summer too. Just something about it. 🙂

    Marianne – I think a cute mug can completely brighten a day. 🙂

  • Deb in Hawaii January 22, 2011 at 1:47 pm

    Love that mug. 😉 I also love a good cup of hot chocolate and like it when the weather is cold enough here (OK, it is Hawaii so I mean mid 60’s–we make do) to really enjoy it. Great spices in this one. I like to do a chocolate chai sometimes.

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