Hot Drink Recipes for Cocooning Season

January 18, 2019

With winter settled in and 2019 under way, it’s the perfect season to enjoy some time at home, curled up in your favourite armchair with a good book and a hot drink to warm your body and soul.

In winter, a comfortable home starts with a high-performance heating system; why not add an additional touch of warmth with these delicious hot beverages everyone is bound to love?

Maple latte: a quintessentially Canadian cup

What could beat a perfect cup of coffee topped with thick, frothy milk flavoured with maple syrup? Drinking it on a weekend morning in your pyjamas, of course!

Ingredients

• 250 ml coffee (brewed)

• 65 ml (¼ cup) milk (regular, lactose-free, almond, or soy)

• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup (real maple syrup, from real trees!)

• 1 teaspoon maple flakes

• One pinch ground nutmeg

Preparation

Start by brewing the coffee in your coffeemaker. The goal is to obtain 250 ml of brewed coffee.

While your coffeemaker is brewing, pour ½ to 1 tablespoon of maple syrup into a mug and add the ground nutmeg.

Once your coffee is brewed to perfection, add it to the ingredients you’ve already put in your mug. Mix together.

Let the flavours blend while you froth the milk. Mix in ½ to 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and wait until the foam becomes quite thick.

Add the foam to your coffee and garnish with maple flakes.

So simple and comforting!

Hot chocolate with coconut milk: a family treat

This recipe is ideal for days when the kids refuse to put on their snowsuits and head outside. Hand them their chef’s hat instead and whip up this delicious drink together!

Ingredients

• 250 ml coconut milk

• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon mini marshmallows

• Chocolate or caramel syrup (or both!)

Preparation

Bring the coconut milk to a boil, and then add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, and vanilla extract into the pan. Simmer on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

When the mix looks smooth, pour the liquid into your favourite mug and add the marshmallows and chocolate or caramel syrup as garnish.

Just the thing to satisfy that sweet tooth!

Chai latte: an authentic cup of comfort

Sip this healthy recipe after a nice morning yoga session, or a jog around the neighbourhood. You’ll feel calmer and more Zen!

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 cloves

• 2 tablespoons black tea leaves in a tea bag

• Cinnamon stick or powder

• One piece star anise

• Around 10 green cardamom pods

• 10 big pinches ground ginger (to taste)

• 500 ml mineral or still water

• One pinch grated nutmeg

• 175 ml milk (regular, lactose-free, almond, or soy)

Preparation

Make an incision in each cardamom pod before crushing it with the flat side of a knife, being careful to not let the seeds escape.

Put all the ingredients in boiling water (except the milk and bag of black tea) and steep for a few minutes. Leave the water on high heat and add the bag of black tea.

Boil on the stove for about 30 minutes. You can lower the heat a little bit.

Once the tea is steeped to your liking, filter the mix into a heat-resistant container. Let it sit while you froth the milk.

Pour the tea into your nicest mug and add the frothed milk on top. And voilà! Pure happiness in a cup.