I don't know about you but at this time of year I just can't handle cold drinks. I was at Starbucks the other day waiting for my chai latté waiting for my herbal tea and I watched a man picked up his iced something or other. Every fibre of my being recoiled from that cold drink. It's hard enough to stay warm without dousing our insides with frostiness.
I actually can't drink hot chocolate myself as I can't tolerate that volume of pasteurized milk (and still have not had the chance to test out raw milk) but the kids really love a nourishing, warming drink in the morning before we have to head out into the cold.
Did you know that hot chocolate mixes are full of high fructose corn syrup for one, and whole bunch of unnecessary fillers? And next time I pass by a kiosk I'll take a photo of a label. In anycase, if you want to enjoy a steaming cup of hot chocolate there's no need to consume non-food items. It's SO easy to make yourself.
Hot Chocolate for Dummies
Ingredients:
2 cups of whole milk, ideally raw and if not then non-homogenize and low temperature pasteurized.
2 tbsp cocoa powder. Look for pure, unadulterated, unsweetened cocoa. Fair trade is a plus!
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp maple syrup, or more to taste
Directions:
Into a small saucepan, pour the milk. Warm slowly over medium heat until just before boiling. Add the cocoa and stir until it is thoroughly dissolved. Add the vanilla and stir well. Add syrup to taste.
That's it, that's all! Enjoy!
And a tiny pinch of sea salt will really bring out the chocolate flavor and give the cocoa a depth that you cannot get without it. :)
Posted by: Allison | January 23, 2012 at 04:58 PM