Winter – wonderful winter! We look forward to it for a variety of reasons, such as skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and snow angels. And sometimes, it’s just nice for the change of weather and wardrobe. But one thing we LOVE about winter is a hot, toasty drink on a crisp, cold day. Whether it’s packing your trusty Stanley Thermos for a day on the hill or for a sledding trip with the kiddos, nothing beats the feeling of having a warm, delicious drink.
At Nikwax, not only are we aftercare and waterproofing experts; we are also experts when it comes to tasty hot beverages. (Or so we’d like to believe). Here are a few of our favorite recipes, both old and new, to fill your Stanley and warm your bones.
Creamy Junior Mint Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 cups Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
½ cup finely grated chocolate
½ cup Junior Mints
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions:
- Pour milk and chocolate almond milk into a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add grated chocolate, stirring to combine. Add Jr. Mints stirring until melted. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Pour cream and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Ladle hot chocolate into cups and top with homemade whipped cream and sprinkle with additional grated chocolate.
Makes 4 Servings
The Hot Choc-Colada (Alcoholic)
Ingredients:
For the Hot Chocolate:
1 can (13.5oz) coconut milk
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch of kosher salt
3/4 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
4 cup water
For the Spiked Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream (cold)
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
For the Garnish:
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup toasted coconut
Instructions:
- For the Toasted Coconut:
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Pour bag of sweetened coconut flakes onto large baking sheet. Bake for 60-90 minutes, turning every 15 minutes until brown and toasted! Store in ziploc bag with all the air pressed out.
- For the Spiked Whipped Cream:
- In a cold mixing bowl, whip heavy cream on medium-high until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar and rum until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the Hot Chocolate:
- In a large pot over medium heat, whisk together the coconut milk, condensed milk, cocoa powder, salt and pineapple juice. Do not boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add rum and water. Continue heating until desired temperature.
- To serve:
- Place honey in small saucer. Put toasted coconut in a small bowl. Dip rims of glass into honey, letting the excess drip off. Immediately press rim into toasted coconut, coating rim completely. Pour hot chocolate into glass, about 1 inch from rim, depending on style of glassware. Pipe whipped cream onto each glass and sprinkle with excess toasted coconut.
Werther’s Chai Tea for Fall
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups hot chai tea
1/2 cup 1% milk
6 chopped up Werther’s caramels, divided
Whipped cream
Instructions:
1. Pour the very hot chai tea into the mug and stir in 3/4 of the chopped candy until it is dissolved. Then pour in the milk and top the chai with whipped cream.
2. Garnish the whipped cream with the remaining chopped candies and serve!
*Why Stanley? Because they make the most durable, classic thermos on the market. Your grandfather probably had one. So did his. And here’s why: Stanley transcends all demographics and does the one thing you demand from your thermos. They keep your hot drinks hot for a very long time, and we experts on hot drinks really appreciate it!
For more ideas and recipes on delicious hot winter drinks, visit our Pinterest board!