Face it, fall is here kiddies. But it’s not all bad. Boots are now comfortable to wear and you don’t feel like an idiot walking around with hot drinks.
Holy transition, Batman!
This week, we’re talking all about some hot drinks. As usual, we’re going a bit off the beaten track.
We’re giving your favorites — and mine — a twist. The chai is dirty, the hot is vanilla, the mocha is nutty, the chocolate is chilly. It’s a festive collection of drinks that are perfect for the rapidly decreasing temperatures.
Besides being twisted, these drinks offer the added benefits of being quite a bit healthier than your average Starbucks offers. All of these drinks are low carb and low in saturated fats. These healthier versions were achieved by using sugar-free and no sugar added along with almond milk instead of cow’s milk. These are simple changes that make a lot of difference in the end.
Don’t worry, these are not haunted by an aftertaste. The only thing they’ll be haunting is your dreams when you’re craving them at all hours. Yes, that was cheesy. Deal.
These four were just a few of the ones I had in mind to try. Since I’ll be graduating in December and I think the impending winter deserves a few more warming options, I’m planning a second hot drink special for next month. I want to know what your favorite hot drinks are. Send me your ideas to jerome@kitchen-101.com.
Dirty Chai:
Ingredients
2/3 cup liquid chai mix
2/3 cup almond milk
Pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp imitation vanilla
1 tsp instant coffee
Procedure
Combine milk and chai mix in microwave safe mug
Warm to desired temperature
Add vanilla, coffee and cinnamon
Iced Chocolate:
Ingredients
3 tbsp hot cocoa mix
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup almond milk
1 pinch instant coffee
2 drops imitation vanilla
Procedure
Warm milk
Dissolve hot cocoa mix and cocoa powder
Add coffee and vanilla
Hazelnut Mocha:
Ingredients
1 tsp instant coffee
¾ cup water
¾ cup almond milk
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp hot cocoa mix
1 tsp Nutella
Procedure
Warm milk and water
Melt Nutella in hot milk mixture
Mix cocoa powder and hot cocoa mix together
Add cocoa mixture to milk mixture
Hot Vanilla:
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp imitation vanilla
Pinch of cinnamon
4 tsp sweetener
Procedure
Warm milk
Add vanilla, cinnamon and sweetener
