A hot drink on a chilly day warms the soul and brings cheer to dark December. In the Aegean city where I live, we rarely get snow, but the last week we’ve seen lots of rain. Cold, cloudy afternoons find us inside enjoying our Christmas lights and sipping something warm. My family’s favorites are hot apple cider, spiced chai latte and peppermint white chocolate mocha.
Here are recipes for you to try. They’re just a wee bit of extra trouble, but oh-so-worth it.
Hot Apple Cider
1 liter apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
5-6 cloves
1 piece of dried orange peel
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP molasses
1 tea bag
Juice of ½ orange
Add all the ingredients except for the orange juice to a pot, and let it simmer 20-30 minutes. Add an extra cup of water to prevent it from boiling down too much. Add orange juice before serving.
Spiced Chai Latte
To make chai spice mix, grind the following in a spice mill or coffee grinder:
1 TBSP cardamom seeds
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
Store in the refrigerator for maximum freshness and use it to make chai latte.
Boil ½ tsp. of the spice mix in 2 ½ cups of water for 5 minutes. Add 3 tea bags. Turn off, cover and let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Add 1½ cups milk and bring to a simmer. Add 1 TBSP sugar and stir. Pour through a tea strainer into cups and serve hot.
Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
2 heaping TBSP white chocolate chips
2 mini candy canes, crushed
2/3 cup brewed coffee
1/3 cup 2 % milk
Optional: Whipped cream and crushed candy canes
Put the white chocolate chips in a large mug and heat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Add the crushed mini candy canes and the hot coffee. Stir for a few minutes until the chocolate and candy canes are dissolved. Add the milk and reheat in the microwave. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed candy cane if desired.
Have a great weekend! We love hot apple too, I hadn’t thought to add a tea bag before though – I’ll try that next time, perhaps this weekend! Hot chocolate made with milk is another favourite here.
What REALLY makes it, in my opinion, is the dried orange peel. The tea bag idea I got from a Kiwi (New Zealand) friend. 🙂 We love hot chocolate around here, too.
Betsy,
Hoping you are having a nice time away! The Peppermint white chocolate mocha is calling my name…gotta give it a try! Advent blessings to you,
Bev xx
You too, Bev. I hope you like the peppermint white chocolate mocha.
That peppermint white chocolate mocha also sounds wonderful. Thanks for the recipes!
Thanks for stopping by, Jeannie.
These recipes sound so stinkin’ good!
We love them!
Mmmmm…Betsy. You are making me smile with this post. One of my favorites is peppermint mocha. Warm drinks make me so happy this time of year! Thanks for sharing these wonderful recipes. I am bookmarking these for sure.
My daughter especially likes the peppermint mocha too, Abby.