Bonfire Spicy Hot Chocolate

With autumn and winter events like the pagan celebration of Hallowe'en or popular effigy-burning on Guy Fawkes Night there will be a hankering for a nice hot drink to warm you through. If you fancy something a bit different to the usual hot chocolate, my Official Taster thoroughly recommends this recipe.

You might also like some of the soup recipes to ward-off the tentacles of autumn and winter chills.

Ingredients

2oz (50g) good quality plain chocolate (plus a little for grating) Few drops of vanilla or almond essence
1 pint full fat milk 2oz (50g) sugar
1 dessertspoon of finely grated orange rind 4 fl oz (120ml) water
A little single or double cream 1 cinnamon stick

Method

  1. Melt the chocolate in a basin over hot water (or carefully in the microwave).
  2. Put the sugar, milk, water, cinnamon stick, essence and orange rind in a saucepan and heat slowly, stirring continuously to dissolve the sugar.
  3. Pour the hot melted chocolate into the saucepan and stir well to mix.
  4. Bring to boiling point and, stirring all the time, simmer for several minutes.
  5. Remove the cinnamon stick. (You may like to serve by pouring through a tea strainer if you don’t want the grated orange in the cup.)
  6. Just before serving, stir in a little cream and grate a sprinkle of chocolate on the top.

For the adults in the group, yes you can add alcohol!

Images

bonfires and halloween

BONFIRES, GUY FAWKES, AND HALLOWE'EN