For a Cold Day - Hot Flavored Cocoas

with Befitting Embellishments

By Luci

Brrrrrr. The polar vortex is here and it looks like it’s gonna stay around throughout this month. So when you, and maybe some friends, come in from the bitter* cold, can you think of anything to provide more respite, comfort and pleasure than a warm shawl wrapped around your shoulders, a fire in your fireplace (if you have one) and hot cocoa? Plain cocoa will do the job, but crank up the pleasure with flavor variations and embellishments to surprise and gratify.

*This taste-associated, pithy adjective for the experience of being out in nasty, cold weather was introduced by Shakespeare at the beginning of Hamlet.

Basic hot cocoa is a heated and sweetened mixture of unsweetened cocoa powder with milk or cream, sugar and, usually, some vanilla extract. Delicious and satisfying, it is sometimes embellished with marshmallows or, my preference, whipped cream. But if you would like something a bit different, only your imagination will limit the possibilities. Just think of any ingredient that matches well to chocolate. Three of my favorites are coconut, maple syrup, and almond. The recipes are below with appropriate garnishes topping the whipped cream topping. 

Basic Recipe - 1 serving

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons white or light brown sugar

1 cup milk or half-and-half

1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon sweetened whipped cream

Directions

1. Mix the cocoa powder and milk in a large cup or mug.

2. Heat milk or half-and-half in a pan just until bubbles start to show. 

3. Pour into the cup or mug. Stir well and add in vanilla extract.

4. Top with 1 generous tablespoon of whipped cream, preferably home-made.

Variations

Coconut

Maybe the inspiration for adding coconut to hot chocolate was my treasured candy, a Mounds bar made of creamy coconut covered in dark chocolate: so rich in flavor yet light and luscious. Bring those virtues to your cocoa cup. And consider that coconut milk is healthier and lower in calories than dairy milk. Coconut milk will add lusciousness as well as lightness to your cocoa cup. 

Substitute coconut milk for the dairy milk and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon for the vanilla extract. Top with whipped cream and garnish with toasted shredded coconut. For the garnish, heat a nonstick skillet to medium, toss in about 1 tablespoon of shredded, sweetened coconut flakes and cook, stirring, until the edges of the shreds turn brown,

Almond

Chocolate takes to nuts like butter to bread. You will find many different kinds of nuts covered in chocolate, but a classic combo is chocolate-covered almonds. The two flavors seem to enhance each other while maintaining their basic flavor character. Almond milk has a smooth, velvety mouth feel that carries over to hot cocoa. Like coconut milk, almond milk is healthier and lower in calories than dairy milk.

Substitute almond milk for the dairy milk and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla extract. Top with whipped cream topped with one roasted almond. 

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup does wonders for many dishes because it enriches with sweet but complex flavors likened most often to caramel or butterscotch with undertones of earthiness. A small piece of maple sugar or maple candy would make a grand garnish. If your larder lacks such, try toasted chopped walnuts.

Substitute 1 tablespoon (or 2 for a more dominant maple flavor) of maple syrup for the vanilla extract. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of toasted chopped walnuts if you haven’t some maple candy.