We have had quite a few great recipes and good ideas for hot holiday drinks the past few weeks at The Kitchn. Here's a look back at over a dozen hot drinks, from Nora's hot apple-ginger toddy from this afternoon to hot chocolate on a stick to pumpkin spice latte (just like Starbucks!).
It's great to welcome guests at the door with a cup of something hot, or to close a meal with a steaming teacup of coffee or tea. Here are a few special drinks that can be made at home, and made in crowd-sized quantities.
TOP ROW
• 1 Coffee and decaf are of course basic choices for an evening meal. Here's a post on choosing better decaf coffee, and another on making perfect French press coffee.
• 2 Herbal tea is another great way to end a meal or warm yourself up in the afternoon. Take a look at this thread on Celestial Seasonings herbal tea.
• 3 Authentic (masala) chai - Spicy hot tea with milk and flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
• 4 Pumpkin Spice Latte - Like that very popular fall drink from Starbucks!
• 5 Malted Cocoa Mix from Alton Brown - Hot and milky, a true cocoa as opposed to chocolate.
MIDDLE ROW
• 6 Hot Chocolate on a Stick - Now it's time for hot chocolate - hot chocolate on a stick for swirling, sipping, and gifting.
• 7 Hot Rum Cow - Now we're getting boozy. Sweet, milky, and strong.
• 8 Hot Apple-Ginger Toddy - Ginger and apple! Totally cozy.
• 9 Bourbon Cough Syrup for Grownups - Basically a hot toddy with fresh ginger and lots of honey.
• 10 Chopped Apples in Store-Bought Cider - Slurpy, sweet, and a snack as well as a hot drink.
BOTTOM ROW
• 11 Apple Cider with Hibiscus Flower Syrup - Another way to spark up hot apple cider.
• 12 Herbal Tisanes - In the winter, try a sage or rosemary infusion with mint leaves.
• 13 Sujeonggwa (Korean Persimmon Punch) - Sweet and spicy, serve hot or cold.
• 14 Korean Tea: Corn, Beans, Barley - Toasty, earthy, and unique.
What hot drinks are you serving at your holiday parties?
(Images: See linked posts for full image credits)
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Well, I just bought genmaicha tea from a Japanese grower, as well as several Mariage Frêres teas from their website -- there is a lot of amazing tea out there that deserves to be mentioned. (and yes, every evening before bed I have a Celestial Seasonings herbal tea)
I really don't like the Alton Brown recipe for cocoa (cornstarch and powdered milk? no thanks!). I use a very good powdered cocoa -- my favourite is by La Maison du Chocolat -- make a paste with a tablespoon or two along with some sugar and milk, add a little stream of milk, mixing to keep lump-free, until there is maybe 1/3 of a cup, heat and then fill with hot milk. To jazz it up, I may add a pinch of hot cinnamon (Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon from Penzeys), ground ginger, and/or hot paprika or a smidge of cayenne.
I also make hot chocolate, but a lighter version than the one you get in European restaurants: melt some good chocolate (I use Callebaut) with a bit of whole milk in a cup, then add more very hot milk (and maybe some cream). May add some spices too.
I prefer my hot chocolate with a slug of Baileys in it, or a couple of drops of peppermint essence...
The hot chocolate on sticks look like they'd make a great gift - last year I made snowflake shape marshmallows - the two ideas together packaged nicely would look great!
I love hot apple drinks. Last year I had a great apple tea brought back from Turkey.
Also, hot chocolate is delicious with almost any sweet liquor added; amaretto, sambuca, or Baileys are my three favourites.
plain and simple canela is always good too. Boil some cinnamon sticks until the water is a deep red. Milk and sugar and you have a tasty drink. That drink always means winter for my family.
Swedish mulled wine with nuts and raisins are my personal fav.
http://healthyhostess.wordpress.com
booo clicked that link for the mulled wine and all it was was a personal blog :(
do you have a recipe for that? i had it at a bar once (it was called glogg? i think) and it was A-MAZ-ING.