There are easy ways to celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day, January 31st—although, hopefully, your celebration extends beyond a packet of instant mix). Then, there are recipes that transform a cup of hot chocolate into something very different and special, like our first recipe below. Both recipes are tequila hot chocolate. The first adds a touch of the exotic, with tamarind purée. The second is a classic, with cinnamon and chile powder.

No tamarind? Use lemon or lime juice mixed with an equal quantity of light brown sugar as a substitute. Use 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice with equal amounts of light brown sugar for every teaspoon of tamarind concentrate you’re replacing.

It’s that easy!

There are more yummy hot chocolate recipes below.

> The history of cocoa and hot chocolate.
 
 
WHAT IS TAMARIND?

The tamarind tree, Tamarindus indica, is a member of the Fabaceae botanical family, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family. When you see its pod-like fruit (photo # 5), you’ll note the immediate connection.

While most Americans associate tamarind with Indian cooking. India is the largest commercial producer. Tamarind pulp is a key ingredient in flavoring curries and rice in South Indian cuisines.

However, the tamarind fruit is native to Africa, where it grows wild around the content in areas as diverse as Cameroon, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.

It also grows wild in Oman, on the Arabian Peninsula; and the fruit’s name derives from tamar hindi, Arabic for “Indian date.”

The immature fruit is sour. It becomes more palatable as it ripens.

The ripened fruit is dried and turned into a paste or a purée, as well as an extract. The flavor is used in desserts including baked goods, puddings, ice creams, and sorbets; in jams; snacks; and in drinks such as juices and sweetened drinks.

In the Middle East, from the Levant to Iran, tamarind is used in savory dishes, particularly meat-based stews; and is often combined with dried fruits for a sweet-sour effect.

In Western cuisine, the most common use for tamarind is in Worcestershire Sauce. (Who knew?)
 
 
RECIPE #1: BOOZY, SPICY HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients except for the chocolate in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes.

2. REMOVE from the heat and fold in the chocolate. Add 4 ounces of mezcal/tequila. If the beverage has cooled while folding in the chocolate, reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds.

3. SERVE hot in a mug or a snifter.

Want a simpler recipe?

The following version was created by Milagro Tequila’s National Brand Ambassador, Jaime Salas.
 
 
RECIPE #2: TEQUILA HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients Per Serving

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the hot chocolate by melting the chocolate or chocolate mix in the hot cream, according to package directions. Stir in the chili powder and cinnamon.

2. HEAT the hot chocolate to the desired temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in the tequila.

3. TOP with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCOA & HOT CHOCOLATE

> THE HISTORY OF HOT CHOCOLATE
 
 
MORE HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPES

[1] Add mezcal or tequila to your hot chocolate, pour and enjoy (photo © Maddi Bazzocco | Unsplash).

[2] Here the saucer is decorated with bits of nut brittle and some cocoa powder (photo © Johnny Caspari | Unsplash).

[3] Yola is a handcrafted mezcal made from a recipe passed down from Yola Jiminez’s grandfather, using a 300-year-old method of traditional Mezcal making (photo © Drizly).

[4] Tanteo Tequila, in three hot chile flavors (Jalapeño, Smokey Chipotle and Extra Spicy Habanero) add a different kind of heat to your hot chocolate (photo © Tanteo Tequila).

[5] The pods grow on the tamarind tree. The seeds inside are made into a paste or (photo © Mal Smith | CC-BY-2.0-License).

[1] A crunchy layer of potato chips—waffle chips are a nice touch—adds texture and flavor to the Bacon Chili Crunch Burger at San Diego-based Slater’s 50/50 (photo © Slater’s 50/50).

[2] Fried chicken skins on the Blanco Burger at Lucky Rooster in Hilton Head (photo © Lucky Rooster).

[3] Crunch pork rinds on a burger at Sutter Home (photo © Sutter Home).

[4] Crunchy shoestring potatoes top this burger from Chef Eric Levine (photo © Chef Eric Levine).

What’s trending among America’s trendy chefs?

Adding crunch to burgers and sandwiches.

Flavor & The Menu, a website and magazine for chefs that reports on culinary trends, attributes the crunchy movement to the boom in fried chicken sandwiches.

Now, chefs are adding crispy ingredients for texture and an added layer of flavor—and fun.

Beyond crisp pickles, fried onions rings, slaws and even the venerable iceberg lettuce and raw onion, the “new crunch” includes ingredients such as:
Potato chips, tortilla chips, even crispy , and

 
 
CHECK OUT THESE EXAMPLES

Here are ideas from chefs across the country:

 
 
IDEAS FROM FLAVOR & THE MENU

 
What’s next?

Try one of these recipes, or invent your own.

While the suggestions above are largely burger-oriented, try the crunch on your favorite sandwiches.

If you have leftover candy canes or other red-and-white peppermints, here’s a good use for a cold day:

Crush them and use them as a hot chocolate garnish.

First top the hot chocolate with:

 
You can even add a small scoop of ice cream; just make the hot chocolate extra-hot.
 
 
HOW TO CRUSH PEPPERMINTS

1. PLACE the candies in a resealable plastic bag. Place the bag on a cutting board to protect the countertop.

2. USE the smooth side of a meat mallet to crush the candies to the desired size. No mallet? Use a hammer.

3. TO CREATE a powder, place the crushed pieces in a spice blender.
 
 
 > THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCOA & HOT CHOCOLATE

> 25 DIFFERENT HOT CHOCOLATE GARNISHES

> HOT CHOCOLATE HISTORY

> THE BEST HOT CHOCOLATE MIXES

> OUR FAVORITE GOURMET HOT CHOCOLATE MIXES

> HOW TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE & YOUR OWN HOT CHOCOLATE MIX FROM SCRATCH

> FAVORITE HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPES FROM THE EXPERTS

> THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCOA POWDER

[1] Crush candy canes and garnish your hot chocolate (photo © Bird Bakery | San Antonio).

[2] Crush any red and white stripe peppermints, like these popular “Starlight”-style mints (photo © Jeffrey Collingwood | SXC).

[1] Mix the batter and scoop it onto the griddle (photos © Krusteaz).

[2] Krusteaz makes blueberry pancake mixes in regular and protein versions.

January 28th is National Blueberry Pancakes Day.

Blueberries are out of season, so this is another one of those food holidays that doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Hey, blueberry people: you should have scheduled this for June, July or August.

Still, all is not lost:

Here are fresh blueberry substitutes to make blueberry pancakes until the fresh domestic berries return.

Today’s second tip is how to make nice, round pancakes.

Some people buy special pancake batter dispensers.

But why find room for another gadget, when you can use your ice cream scoop.

Just scoop up the batter and plop it on the griddle.

Thanks to Krusteaz, makers of premium pancake mixes, for the tip.

Check out their Blueberry Pancake Mix.

Krusteaz also makes a whole-grain blueberry pancake mix with 14g of protein per serving.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PANCAKES: A PANCAKE GLOSSARY
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PANCAKES

Two products worthy of your attention are the new Coca-Cola With Coffee and a fun fusion snack mix, 4505 Cheese-Charrones, chicharrones blended with Whisps cheese crisps.
 
 
1. COCA-COLA WITH COFFEE

Finally, Coca-Cola with Coffee (regular and diet) has come to the U.S.

Available in Japan since 2018 and in 48 other countries, this fusion flavor is welcome.

It’s a true hybrid innovation. If you’re a Coke or Diet Coke drinker who also enjoys coffee, it’s a must-try.

And not just as a pick-me-up drink, although the varieties, made with Brazilian coffee, contain 69 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce can.

That’s double the caffeine of a regular Coca-Cola, but about half of the caffeine in a 12-ounce cup of coffee (depending on the brew).

Coca-Cola with Coffee is available nationwide in three flavors (photo #2) plus two sugar-free versions:

 
The company says that the new flavor “Sips like a Coke, finishes like a coffee.”

We tasted two varieties: Dark Blend and Zero Sugar Vanilla.

We don’t regularly drink sugary sodas, but found the Dark Blend to be an interesting flavor, not as sweet as a regular Coke. It’s sweetened with the same HFCS as regular Coke, but perhaps they used less of it.

The Zero Sugar Vanilla may be our new favorite zero-calorie drink (photo #1). It had no diet drink aftertaste; the sugar substitute is a combination of sucralose (the component of Splenda) and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K).

The natural flavors gave Zero Sugar Vanilla a hint of hazelnut; altogether a delicious diet drink. We look forward to trying Zero Sugar Dark Blend.

At cocktail time, we added a shot of vodka to turn it into a Diet Coke Black Russian.

Here’s a store locator.

For more information on the line, visit Coca-ColaCompany.com.
 

2. 4505 CHEESE-CHARRONES SNACK MIX

For those who like chicharrones—fried pork rinds—is there a better option than the basic simple recipe? Yes!

Last month we reported on Pig Wizard flavored pork rinds: a true delight in flavors such as Beer Bacon Caramel PorkCorn, Sweet Heat Caramel PorkCorn and Thai Tea Caramel PorkCorn.

We recently discovered different-flavored chicharrones, from 4505 Meats in San Francisco.

Back in 2009, chef and butcher Ryan Farr started to fry up chicharrones from pork fat, and selling them to local bars for extra cash.

The crunchy, carb-free snacks quickly became famous throughout the city, and were dubbed “crispy clouds of porkaliciousness.”

Made from sustainably, humanely produced pork, they have 7 grams of protein per serving.

He took a different direction in flavoring his pork rinds:

 
Read more about them here.

[1] Our new favorite diet Coke flavor: Coca-Cola With Coffee Zero Sugar Vanilla (photos #1 and #2 © Coca-Cola).

[2] A trio of flavors: Dark, Vanilla and Caramel, the first two also available in Zero Sugar.

[3] Flavored chicharrones (fried pork rinds) from 4505 Meats, plus the new Cheese-Charrones snack mix with Cheese Whisps (photos #4 and #5 © 4505 Meats).

[4] The new Cheese-Charrones are a blend of pork rinds, cracklings, and Whisps cheddar cheese crisps.

The result is crunchy, salty, porkalicious…and cheese-alicious, too.

Check it out on 4505Meats.com.