Hot Chocolate
3 cups milk
150g chopped dark or milk chocolate
4 marshmallows
Warm 2 tall serving glasses. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add chocolate, stirring constantly until fully melted. Pour into pre-warmed glasses and top with a couple of marshmallows. Allow marshmallows to melt before drinking.
Affogato
Ice-cream (low fat)
4 x 30ml shots espresso coffee
Fill 4 small serving glasses with 2-3 scoops of ice-cream. Top the ice-cream with a shot (30ml) of hot espresso coffee and serve. For a real lift, add an extra shot of chocolate or coffee-flavoured liqueur.
Mulled Wine
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, split length-ways
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 orange, quartered and thinly sliced
750ml red wine
Combine the spices, sugar and most of the orange (reserve some slices for serving) with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 5 mins. Add wine and heat gently until hot. Strain the mixture into a warm serving jug and pour into warmed glasses. Top with reserved orange slices.
Hot Apple Cider
750ml (3 cups) alcoholic cider
250ml (1 cup) apple juice
250ml (1 cup) apple schnapps (see note)
1 vanilla bean, split
1 strip lemon rind
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
Heat cider, juice, schnapps, vanilla and lemon rind in a saucepan over medium-low heat until just before boiling. Set aside for 10 minutes to develop flavours. Discard vanilla bean. Add apple. Pour into heatproof glasses.
Spiced Apple Tea
6 whole cloves
2 granny smith apples, cored, roughly chopped
1/3 cup unrefined sugar
1 cinnamon stick, halved
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Thinly sliced granny smith apple, to serve
Using a mortar and pestle, pound cloves until lightly crushed. Place cloves, apple, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice in a saucepan. Add 6 cups cold water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes or until apple has softened. Strain into a heatproof jug. Pour into glasses. Serve with apple.
Hot Toddy
80ml (1/3 cup) Whiskey
60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 x 7cm cinnamon sticks, bruised
12 whole cloves
250ml (1 cup) boiling water
2 x 5cm-strips lemon peel, to serve
Place the whiskey, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon and cloves in a heatproof jug.
Add the boiling water and stir until honey dissolves.
Pour among serving glasses. Add the lemon rind and serve immediately.
Irish Coffee
1 double shot (60ml) hot espresso coffee
2 tablespoons whisky
1 cup boiling water
whipped cream, to serve
Pour coffee into a heatproof glass. Add whisky and boiling water. Stir to combine. Spoon cream over coffee mixture.
~ All recipes courtesy Taste.com.au
