Winter is awesome. Not every day, mind you; tonight on my way home, for instance, when the harsh Arctic winds whipped my face and stung my skin. But then again, it makes coming home that much sweeter. Add a steamin’ cup of hot chocolate, and we got pure heaven!
This recipe is from the Witches’ Almanac, issue 28, Spring 2009 to Spring 2010. I love chocolate and spice but haven’t tried anything like this before. When I do end up trying it, I’ll come back and leave my opinion in the comments. I hope you do, too!
Spicy Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
6 cups of milk
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
15 whole cardamons, crushed
12 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 cinnamon sticks, halved
3/4 tsp whole coriander seeds
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Preparation
In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, sugar and spices. Bring to a simmer but do not boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes. Add cocoa and vanilla. Return to heat and bring to a simmer, whisking until blended and foamy. Strain into an 8-cup measuring cup; discard spices. Pour into 6 mugs.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I made this recipe last night. I had to do some serious searching to find all the herbs and spices but found them at Woodman’s Market in Kenosha, WI. The only thing I could not find was whole Coriander seeds so I used a little less ground Coriander. The end result was absolutely delicious. I will make it again and again. It was worth the effort.
Right on, Hope! So glad you liked the recipe. It’s one of my favs, too, especially on a cold winter’s night.