3 Cozy Cocoa Recipes

Winter is still with us, friends.

People run home from work, study, when it is already dark outside, very cold and uncomfortable. But this is not at all a reason to be upset. Just enjoy the view of the evening city, its lights, reflections, the movement of people.

Somewhere from the door of the store you can hear beautiful music, somewhere in a cafe lovers or a company of best friends are sitting, someone is playing with a dog in the park, breathing cool air and enjoying it.

And then you can come home and power to relax and warm up. You can watch a good movie, read a book, arrange an evening of creativity by candlelight. And all this is supplemented with warm drinks prepared by your own hands.

Hot chocolate

• 100 g dark chocolate (bar)
• 1/2 l milk
• 2 tablespoons (or to taste) brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chocolate icing or grated chocolate

Melt the chocolate bar in a water bath, stirring constantly with a whisk. Dilute it in a little milk. Mix until a homogeneous and smooth chocolate mixture.

In another saucepan, heat the remaining milk and sugar and simmer over low heat. Pour milk into melted chocolate.

Mix thoroughly with a whisk and let simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes. Pour mixture into cups and sprinkle with chocolate icing. Serve immediately.

Spicy hot chocolate

• 50 ml whole milk
• 60 g dark chocolate dessert with a cocoa content of at least 55%
• unpeeled orange
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 large pinches of anise seeds
• a pinch of cardamom powder

Grate chocolate. Grate orange zest. Put the milk in a saucepan, heat it up. Add orange zest, half a cinnamon stick, a pinch of anise and grated chocolate to the milk.

Bring to a boil over very low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Turn off the heat and let it brew for 10 minutes. Strain and serve.

Hot chocolate with cinnamon and pepper

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 1 cup whole milk

Sift together all dry ingredients. Store the mixture in an airtight container. You can use small glass jars.

Pour 1/4 cup dry mixture into the bottom of the mug. Heat 1 cup of milk, and while it is hot but not simmering, pour the milk over the cocoa mixture while stirring or whisking. A portion of the dry mixture is designed for 4 cups of hot chocolate.