Friday, June 08, 2007

Hot Cocoa

I know everyone that doesn't live in the tropics thinks I'm whingy. But it has been cold here! This morning, it was 17 degrees (62 F) inside my house. Since it's usually so hot here, buildings are not designed to keep in warmth, and there are basically no heaters around. Andy's car doesn't even have a functioning heater.

Yesterday it wasn't just cold, it was windy and rainy as well. I was in my office watching it be wintry out the window, and daydreaming about hot chocolate. As soon as I got home, I made some. I don't have any photos (stupid camera batteries are dead yet again), but I think everyone knows what hot chocolate looks like...

I put 2 mugs worth of soy milk in a small saucepan with a cinnamon stick and a dash of nutmeg. A teensy bit of the milk was actually coffee flavoured, like maybe 1/4 of one mug. I put that on superlow heat, so the milk would get all sinnamon infused. Then we broke up the remaining dark chocolate bunny we had. He was headless, and we took a few bites before we chucked it in, so it was probably about 1/2 a chocolate bunny. It was 70% cocoa, so it was pretty chocolatey. I whisked the chocolate into the warm milk, along with a splash of vanilla and a scoop of brown sugar. When the chocolate melted, I poured it into mugs and topped it with ground cinnamon.

Holy yum! Rich, chocolatey, and spicy, this is a drink to warm you from the inside. It went quite nicely with the last two pieces of supa spicy carrot cake, chock full of nutmeg and ginger. If I was sophisticated enough to keep anything in the house besides cheap beer, I would have added some brandy or kahlua or something to the hot cocoa. Maybe next time.

I know it's very warm in the US now, but the few Aussies who are freezing their bums off might find this recipe useful...

9 comments:

KleoPatra said...

Aw, the kissing wabbits!!! The poor headless bunny... sacrificed to the hot cocoa gods! :o)

You're not whingy, we're just on opposite "schedules" here, so i can only imagine the weather in your wonderful part of the world.

Hot chocolate is soooo yummy. i don't drink coffee and i'm not the world's biggest tea fan (tho you wouldn't know it from my stash of about 25 different teas) but i do love what you made here! i've gone w/friends to coffeehouses and have ordered hot cocoa made with soymilk but i LOVE how you made yours.

Recycling at its best!!!!

Amy said...

I might try that right now - my toes are freezing!!!!

Amy said...

WOW that sounds good! I love the addition of spices. It sounds like liquefied choco pudding rather than hot choc.

Dori said...

Great cup of yum! We are getting into our summer months here, but I am wearing a spring jacket because it is about 65 degrees F here.

urban vegan said...

It was 95 degrees here today, and humid. (I love the heat & humidity. I'm in heaven.) But that would not stop me from enjoying a cup of your cocoa.

Anonymous said...

It could be 90 degrees out (which it is) and I'd still love to drink hot cocoa. Your addition of cinnamon and nutmeg sounds delish! Sometimes I add mint or cayenne (although not at the same time) to my cocoa. Lately I've been making mint cocoa and then pouring it over a tall glass filled with ice so it gets nice and chilled.

bazu said...

ahhh, hot chocolate is perfect. even though I'm sitting in 90-degree heat right now, that sounds perfect to me.

Amy said...

Awesome, it's currently 13 here today (and we're having a warm day, it was about 8 yesterday at it's warmest and we've been getting into the minus's in the mornings). I think I'll have me one of these tonight before bed (rice milk instead of soy though and no chockie bunny but I do have some dark chockie, one has orange and spices, might be a nice addition). Thanks for sharing, I have a hot chocolate craving now!

MeloMeals said...

Wow... that sounds like the BEST hot cocoa I've ever heard of...