Spiked Hot Chocolate Recipes | The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures

TIP OF THE DAY: Spiked Hot Chocolate

December 12, 2016 at 8:59 am · Filed under Beverages, Food Fun, Food Holidays, Tip Of The Day

January 31st, is National Hot Chocolate Day, a drink that’s not just for kids.

A few days ago we published an article on Christmas hot chocolate, to be enjoyed by all.

But today’s recipes are for adults only. Turn your cup of hot chocolate into an adult drink with a touch of schnapps—or any spirit you prefer.

And, if you like impromptu get-togethers, you can have an after-work hot chocolate cocktail party. You can even ask each participant to bring a favorite spirit.

You can create pitchers of your favorite recipe(s) and microwave each cup (45-60 seconds at room temperature, test in advance) to order, before garnishing (we moved our microwave to the dining room buffet).

WHAT TYPE OF LIQUOR GOES WITH HOT CHOCOLATE?

Anything that goes with chocolate will work. That covers almost everything, except perhaps some very herbal liqueurs like Bénédictine. Start with whatever you have on hand:

Brandy or eau de vie

Gin, whiskey, etc.

Rum, regular or spiced

Vodka and tequila, regular or flavored (including hot chile)

Liqueur (anise, banana, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, coffee, hazelnut (or any nut), Irish cream, orange, peppermint, raspberry, vanilla, etc.)

Holiday-theme liqueur (e.g., cranberry, pumpkin)

Red wine (medium body, moderate tannins)

In fact, you can gather your friends, ask everyone to bring a different flavor (whatever they have on hand) and party!

HOW TO MAKE SPIKED HOT CHOCOLATE

We’ve got recipes for your consideration below, but there really is no wrong.

Here’s an easy template for an 8-ounce cup:

5 ounces prepared hot chocolate

2 ounces* spirits (e.g., 1.5 ounce vodka and .5 ounce liqueur)

Optional rim: crushed crystallized ginger, hot chocolate/cocoa drink mix (with sugar), sparkling sugar, spice mix (e.g. apple pie or pumpkin pie blend, sweet-and-spicy (e.g., sugar and cayenne, ground ancho or crushed chile flakes)

Garnish: foamed milk (i.e. cappuccino foam), holiday spices (cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise), matched to spirit (e.g., cinnamon stick with cinnamon liqueur), notched strawberry on rim, steamed milk (for a cappuccino-like topping), whipped cream or flavored whipped cream

Cookie side: for the holidays, serve a traditional Christmas cookie, gingerbread man or cutout, pfeffernusse, snickerdoodle or other favorite

*You can add much more, if you want to turn the drink into a hot chocolate cocktail.

Don’t see what you want below? There are countless spiked hot chocolate recipes online.

RECIPE #1: BASIC, WITH FLAVORED VODKA/TEQUILA

Ingredients Per Cup

1.5 ounces flavored vanilla vodka

5 ounces hot chocolate, prepared

Garnish: whipped cream and chocolate shavings or cinnamon, crushed star anise, nutmeg or other spice

Preparation

1. BLEND the vodka into the hot chocolate and garnish as desired.

RECIPE #2: CANDY CANE “MARTINI”

Prepare as per Recipe #1, above.

Ingredients

1.5 ounces flavored vanilla vodka

1 ounce crème de cacao

1 ounce crème de menthe

5 ounces hot chocolate

Garnish: whipped cream and crushed candy cane

Spiked Hot Chocolate
[1] Irish cream liqueur and hot chocolate are a match made in heaven, here with a topping of steamed milk and cocoa mix (photo © Polka Dot Bride).

Hot Chocolate With Flavored Vodka
[2] Regular vodka is fine, but flavored vodka adds an extra layer of flavor (photo © Smirnoff, which used its whipped cream-flavored vodka).

White Hot Chocolate With Spiced Rum
[3] Don’t forget white chocolate, with spiced rum or RumChata, a rum-based cream liqueur (photo © Cheri Louglin Photography).

[4] Grand Marnier hot chocolate (photo © Sweatpants And Coffee).

RECIPE #3: GRAND MARNIER/COINTREAU HOT CHOCOLATE or MARGARITA HOT CHOCOLATE

Orange liqueur is our second favorite alcohol addition, after Irish cream liqueur. Prepare as per Recipe #1, above.

Ingredients Per Cup

2 ounces Grand Marnier or Cointreau

5 ounces hot chocolate

Garnish: whipped cream and grated orange zest or candied orange peel

Variation: Margarita Hot Chocolate

2 ounces Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

5 ounces hot chocolate

[5] Mexican hot chocolate with tequila, of course (photo © Creative Culinary).

Chocolate Cocktail
[6] Try a matching rim. This one is a blend of cocoa drink powder and cayenne for Mexican hot chocolate (photo © X Bar | Hyatt Regency | LA).

RECIPE #4: CHOCOLATE GRASSHOPPER

This one’s for you, Rajesh Koothrappali. Prepare as per Recipe #1.

Ingredients

2 ounces amaretto liqueur

2 ounces crème de menthe

5 ounces hot chocolate

Amaretto- or mint-infused whipped cream (recipe below)

Garnish: mint leaf

RECIPE #5: LIQUEUR-FLAVORED WHIPPED CREAM.

You can use any liqueur. To use an 80-proof spirit such as bourbon whipped cream, you can add 1-2 extra tablespoons of sugar for a sweeter whipped cream. (personally, we prefer it with less sugar).

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

4 ounces liqueur

2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

1. COMBINE the ingredients and whip with beaters or use a whipped cream dispenser like iSi.

Here are more flavored whipped cream recipes.

FOOD 101:
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOT COCOA & CHOCOLATE

There is a difference between cocoa and hot chocolate. After you read it, you may prefer the latter (we do!).

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORDIAL, FRUIT BRANDY, LIQUEUR, EAU DE VIE, LIQUEUR & SCHNAPPS

While many people use these terms interchangeably, and they are all flavored spirits, there are differences in terms of sweetness and color—and in the case of fruit brandy, the base alcohol.

Liqueur (lih-CUR, the French pronunciation) is made by steeping fruits in alcohol after the fruit has been fermented; the result is then distilled. Liqueurs are typically sweeter and more syrupy than schnapps.

Schnapps (SHNOPS) is made by fermenting the fruit, herb or spice along with a base spirit, usually brandy; the product is then distilled. This process creates a stronger, often clear, distilled spirit similar to a lightly flavored vodka. “Schnapps” is German for “snap,” and in this context denotes both a clear brandy distilled from fermented fruits, plus a shot of that spirit. Classic schnapps have no added sugar, and are thus less sweet than liqueur. But note that some manufacturers add sugar to please the palates of American customers.

Eau de vie (OH-duh-VEE), French for “water of life,” this is unsweetened fruit brandy—i.e.,schnapps.

Cordial has a different meaning in the U.S. than in the U.K., where it is a non-alcoholic, sweet, syrupy drink. In the U.S, a cordial is a sweet, syrupy, alcoholic beverage: liqueur.

In sum: If you want a less sweet, clear spirit, choose schnapps/eau de vie over liqueur. For something sweet and syrupy, go for a liqueur or cordial.

Fruit Brandy Vs. Liqueur

Liqueur is sweeter, and typically made from a grain-based alcohol.

Fruit-flavored brandy is made from a grape-based alcohol. Be sure to buy one that is all natural, i.e., made with real fruit instead of flavored syrup. With a quality brand, the fruit is macerated in the alcohol, then filtered out prior to bottling.

There are a few Cognacs-based liqueurs such as Chambord (raspberry), Domaine De Canton (ginger) and Grand Marnier (orange). Cognac is a higher-quality brandy made according to the stringent standards of the Cognac commune of southwestern France.

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