Not even my wool coat can keep me warm during these freeze-warning temps lately! Take a sip from one of these cozy winter cocktails that combines classic liquors with seasonal ingredients like cinnamon to warm you up before dashing out into the cold!
El Dorado Hot Chocolate
Cinnamon-flavored liquor offers a seasoned kick.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons
- 8 ounces finely chopped semisweet or milk chocolate
- 6 cups milk
- 6 ounce cinnamon flavored liqueur (recommended: Goldschlager), see Cook’s note
- 3 ounce golden rum
Directions
Stir the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the water together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Uncover and continue to cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the sugar is a dark golden caramel, 7 to 10 minutes. (It should smell slightly burnt.) Pull pan from the heat and carefully pour the 1/4 cup water into the caramel. Take care; it may spatter a lot. Whisk until smooth and allow to cool. (The burnt caramel can be held for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.)
When ready to serve: Put 3 tablespoons of the burnt caramel into 4 mugs or cups and top evenly with the chopped chocolate. Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium pan over medium heat. Pull pan from the heat and add the Goldschlager and rum; pour over the chocolate. Serve El Dorado Hot Chocolates with a spoon to stir the layers together.
Chocolate Velvet
Smooth chocolate is layered with Prosecco in this appealing glass.
Ingredients
- Ground chocolate, optional
- 2 ounces chocolate stout, preferably a robust one (recommended: Young’s)
- 2 ounces Prosecco
- Serving suggestion: chilled champagne flute
Directions
Rim the glass with chocolate: pour some ground chocolate onto a small plate. Roll the outer top edge of the champagne flute in the chocolate.
Pour the stout into the glass, taking care to make as little foam as possible. (The best way to do this: tilt the glass and pour the beer slowly down the inside of the glass.) Slowly pour Prosecco down over the back of a spoon and into the glass, layering the two alcohols for a dramatic cocktail. Enjoy!
Zesty Eggnog
Infuse a holiday favorite with a tangy citrus zest.
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk
- 1 large strip orange zest
- 2 large strips lemon zest
- 1 vanilla bean, split and vanilla seeds scraped loose
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
- 2 egg whites
- 2/3 cup white rum
- 2 to 3 tablespoons bourbon, optional
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Finely grated orange and/or lemon zest
Directions
Put 2 cups of the milk, both citrus zests, and the vanilla bean and tar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and the 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl until lightened in color.
Gradually pour the hot milk into the eggs while whisking constantly. Return the egg mixture to the pan and set over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon in a figure 8 motion until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the remaining cup milk to stop the cooking. Transfer custard to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. (To speed this up, set bowl in another bowl of ice.)
Put about 1 inch of water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Put the egg whites and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a heatproof bowl large enough to rest in the saucepan without touching the water. Set the bowl over the simmering water and beat until the sugar dissolves and the egg whites feel warm to the touch, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and beat the whites with an electric mixer until they hold a soft peak, about 3 minutes. Fold the egg whites into custard mixture. Add the rum and bourbon, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Transfer eggnog to a punch bowl or pitcher. Pour into small cups and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and citrus zest. Enjoy!
Source: Food Network
