Warm drink me, please!
The weather is starting to break which means it’s time to break out the warm drink recipe combinations! One of the best things about fall is the opportunity it brings to get cozy, lay up under your favorite blanket and, stream some seasonal classics! Having amazing warm drink options to mix up helps add a new level to your fall experience. Below we have included some delicious warm drink recipes that our residents are invited to whip up all season long!
1. Slow Cooker Apple Cider
INGREDIENTS:
- 9 apples (Honeycrisp and Gala are really good, but feel free to use a blend of their favorites!)
- 1 orange
- 1 3 inch long ginger
- 3 sticks cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 10 cups water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (Or honey, or the sweeter of your choice)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Thoroughly wash apples and oranges, then cut into quarters. Don’t worry about deseeding or destemming. Slice the ginger into think strips.
- Add apples, oranges, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Pour in enough water to completely cover them, but leave a little space at the top so that the pot won’t boil over.
- Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours, or high 2-3 hours.
- Mash the apples and oranges using a potato masher, or the tool of your choice. Cover and let cook 1 hour more.
- Strain out the solids. Press them through a mesh strainer to get out leftover juice, if you’d like.
- Stir in the sugar and serve hot.
2. S’mores Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
- 2 cups milk (any kind // dairy-free for vegan)
- 1 cup water (or sub more milk)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp light chocolate syrup
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp non-bitter stevia (or add 1-2 Tbsp more sugar to taste)
- 1 pinch salt
- Graham crackers (crushed // for lining rim – gluten-free for GF eaters)
- ½ cup marshmallows (ensure vegan-friendliness)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to low broil and move oven rack to the second from the top (high enough up to broil your marshmallows). Place baking sheet on rack.
- Heat milk and water in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through – about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overheat or scold.
- Add cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, sugar, stevia, and salt and whisk vigorously until thoroughly combined.
- Meanwhile, take a few marshmallows and rub them around the top of your mugs so the graham crackers will stick. Then, dip the mug in graham cracker crumbs until well lined. You could also add some graham cracker crumbs to the bottom of your mug for extra graham flavor.
- Pour in hot chocolate and top with 1/4 cup marshmallows each. Carefully set mugs on the baking sheet in the oven and broil marshmallows until browned, watching carefully as to not let them burn.
- Carefully remove from the oven with a towel and serve with holders or a small towel to protect hands from heat (they should cool quickly for handling). Top with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and extra graham cracker crumbs for serving (optional).
3. Homemade Chai Tea Latte
Ingredients
- 2 Tazo Chai Classic tea bags
- 1 cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons real maple syrup or honey
Garnishes:
- Cinnamon
- Star of anise
- Whipped cream
- Nutmeg
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves to the water and stir. Take the water off of the heat once boiling and place the tea bags in the water to steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags from the water. Pour the tea into your cup.
- Add the milk, vanilla, and syrup into the pan and bring to a simmer. From here you can pour this into the cup with the tea or use a frother or an immersion blender to froth the milk.
- Garnish with cinnamon, star of anise, or whipped cream.
4. Hot Buttered Rum
Ingredients:
- 2 oz rum
- 2 cups hot apple cider
- 4 -8 tbsp butter (plus extra for garnish if desired)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (you can sub honey or rapadura/sucanat)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch cloves
- cinnamon stick or star anise
Instructions:
-
Place apple cider, 4 tablespoons butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium pot and warm over medium heat. Once it reaches the temperature you prefer, remove it from heat and add the rum.
-
If you have an immersion blender, blend the mixture right in the pot. If you have a regular blender, transfer the mixture and blend until smooth. Taste and add more butter if desired, then serve. If you have some extra on hand, a cinnamon stick or whole star anise makes a lovely garnish.
5. Hot Cider Nog
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup milk, 2% or whole
- 1 1/4 cups apple cider
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for topping
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- whipped cream for topping
- cinnamon sticks
- apple slices
INSTRUCTIONS:
-
Place the half and half, milk, cider, eggs, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat while whisking constantly (so you don’t have scrambled eggs!) for 15 to 20 minutes, until the nog thickens slightly and can easily coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat but continue to whisk for another minute or two.
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Stir in the bourbon if desired, either in the entire pot or a few ounces into each glass. Serve in mugs with some fresh whipped cream for topping, a cinnamon stick, apple slices, and a few grates of fresh nutmeg.
