.png)
Our Favorite December Drinks
We all love a cozy warm drink on a cold winter day. Here are the three warm, delicious drinks that our staff loves to make!
We promise we won't lead you astray with these tasty winter recipes. Click the receipt below to see the ingredients needed and how to make each tasty treat!
Gourmet Vanilla Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
2 cups milk
3 tsp vanilla sugar (or 3 tsp sugar & 2 tsp vanilla extract)
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Hot chocolate toppings of your choice
Let's Make It!
Measure out the milk into a large microwave safe container.
Add the vanilla sugar (or sugar and vanilla extract), cocoa powder, and cinnamon.
Heat the ingredients for 35 seconds on high. Remove and stir.
Heat for an additional minute, then remove and stir.
Repeat in 20 second intervals until the hot chocolate is at your desired temperature.
Top with marshmallows or your favorite hot cocoa toppings and enjoy!
Why We Love This Recipe
Versatility!
Vegan? Use your favorite non-dairy milk.
Don’t like cinnamon? Use nutmeg!
Any topping of your choice will taste amazing with vanilla.
This recipe is for a large single serving or two smaller servings. Double or triple the recipe to make larger batches.
Can be made in the microwave super fast, or on the stovetop if you’re making a larger quantity or simply stand by the old “low and slow is the way to go” method.
Apple Pie Cider
Ingredients
4 cups pure apple juice
2 four inch cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice berries
Your favorite vanilla ice cream
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup. (For added sweetness, though cider will be fairly sweet without it)
Let's Make It!
Place all ingredients except ice cream in a sauce pan. If using sugar, stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves.
Heat the cider over medium heat, until it begins to simmer, then reduce heat. Continue to simmer for at least 30 minutes. (Expert tip: the longer you simmer it, the stronger the flavor will be.)
Once the cider is at your desired level of spice, remove spices using a slotted spoon. Pour into mugs.
Add a small scoop of ice cream into each mug. The hot cider will melt the ice cream and you’ll have hot apple pie in a glass!
Hot Buttered Rum
Ingredients
2 oz rum
2 sugar cubes
1 pat unsalted butter
Let's Make It!
In a mug, dissolve the sugar with a small amount of hot water.
Add rum and butter into the mug.
Fill the mug with hot water. Sprinkle a little nutmeg on top.
This Christmas Classic dates back to the 1600s. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
(Note from Becky: As a huge Harry Potter fan, I imagine butterbeer to taste a little bit like this, or at least the closest I’d be able to get without visiting Hogsmeade!)