Archive for the ‘Drinks’ Category
I don’t usually put Peeps into hot chocolate and prefer to simply eat them on their own, but I was inspired by some of the holiday Peeps that I tried recently since the holiday flavors seemed like they might be especially well-suited to drinking with a good cup of hot chocolate. I used the very cute Gingerbread Peeps as inspiration and made a Gingerbread Hot Chocolate to put them in.
Sometimes, I make hot chocolate with just cocoa powder, sugar and milk – a simple and easy to make blend. Since this gingerbread hot chocolate has some spice to it, I decided to add a little richness to the drink by adding real chocolate to give it a little more body and creaminess. I add both white chocolate and dark chocolate (you can use milk chocolate, instead, if you prefer), since I like the flavor of both but wanted a little extra sweetness from the white chocolate to counter the strong molasses flavor. The result is a nice fusion of gingerbread and hot chocolate, a lighltly spiced drink that is perfect for the holidays.
You don’t need a gingerbread marshmallow to enjoy this drink (even though they are adorable!), and you’ll find that regular marshmallows or even whipped cream make nice finishes, too.
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A cold coffee drink is a great treat on a warm afternoon. Not only does it cool you off, but it will give you a little pick-me-up from the caffeine when you might need it after lunch. I’ve had a mocha-coconut combination in blended drinks before at various coffee shops and wanted to put together a Mocha Coconut Ice Blended drink at home. As a fan of coconut in general, I think that chocolate, coffee and coconut a great flavor combination, and I like that it delivers something a little different than your average coffee drink.
My blended drink starts off with some strong, hot coffee. You need strong coffee (and you can make it with instant) because you want the flavor of the coffee to come through in the finished drink and be able to stand up to the other flavors in here. I also use hot coffee because it is easy to dissolve the cocoa powder and sugar for the mocha base of the drink, though I do cool down the coffee before putting the rest of the drink together. I use coconut milk and shredded coconut in the drink for coconut flavor. You can use regular milk in this recipe instead of coconut milk, but coconut milk lends a little extra richness to the drink and adds a little coconut flavor. If you want to boost the coconut flavor when you’re using regular milk, you can add a few drops of coconut extract.
Even though I recommend measuring the ingredients in one large glass, this recipe makes two satisfying servings in slightly smaller glasses. Serve it topped with whipped cream, extra shredded coconut and, of course, a straw.
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Agua fresca is a fresh fruit-based drink that is very popular in Mexico. They’re typically made by mashing or pureeing fruit such as strawberries or melon and then thinning the mixture out with juice or water until it has a light, drinkable consistency and is easy to sip through a straw. They’re lightly sweetened, both to highlight the sweetness of the fruit to ensure that the drink is a nice contrast for the spicy, savory food that it is usually served with. I like them because they’re very refreshing and because there is a lot of variety, from strawberries to hibiscus to tamarind.
This watermelon agua fresca is my spin on one of my favorite types of agua fresca. Watermelon seems even more refreshing to me than many other fruits, simply because it contains so much water to begin with. For this drink, I blend watermelon and a few strawberries with just enough water to puree them easily, then pour the mixture into a tall serving glass where I’ve muddled a little bit of sugar and mint. The mint is not traditional for this type of drink, but it works beautifully with the berries and the watermelon, making the drink seem even more refreshing. I chill the fruits before making this drink and serve it straight after I’ve prepared it. If you want it colder, chill the mixture for an hour or so before serving. Don’t add ice to the blender – or you’ll have to call your drink a smoothie!
If you strawberries and watermelon are sweet enough, you will probably only want to add a little bit of sugar to this drink, as I did. If they’re not quite as sweet as you’d like, add an extra tablespoon or two of sugar when blending the fruits together. And if you’re looking for a grownup finish to this drink, cut back on the water to make the puree a little bit thicker and spike your finished product with a splash of rum.
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I’m definitely awash in strawberries this summer – but I’m not going to complain about that any time soon. I love eating strawberries when they’re at their peak, and I also love the opportunity to incorporate them into all kinds of different recipes. With more strawberries than I knew what to do with in my kitchen then other day, I decided to give a Homemade Strawberry Julius a try.
Orange Julius is a light, frothy orange drink that tastes a lot like a creamsicle – only better. They were a favorite of mine as a kid, when I used to come across Orange Julius store locations all over the place. These days, I don’t see them as often, but I’ve been making Homemade Orange Julius‘s at home for a while now, using freshly squeezed orange juice. A Strawberry Julius is the same concept, only the drink uses fresh strawberries instead of orange juice.
The recipe is very simple: strawberries, water, sugar, egg white, vanilla and ice. It sounds like it might be watery based on the ingredient list, but it is very flavorful and very refreshing, with a great creamy/fluffy consistency. The egg white is really the key to the drink, so don’t leave it out. Use pasteurized egg whites (this is what I use) or even a pasteurized egg white product (the whites-only variety, not anything yellow) in this recipe to substitute for the egg white when you’re mixing it up. It has a fantastic berry flavor and is one of my favorite summertime drinks.
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I usually keep my milkshakes nice and simple. Ice cream, milk, and a few extra fruits or syrups for flavoring, depending on what I’m in the mood for. Sometimes, however, I feel like making something a bit more decadent and I’ll use heavy cream instead of milk. I wouldn’t do it if I had a milkshake every day (unless I really needed the extra calories), but for a treat it’s a great way to go.
Adding heavy cream to a milkshake changes the consistency entirely from a shake made with milk alone. Heavy cream whips up easily into whipped cream with a whisk, and it does the same thing when you put it into the blender. Using roughly equal parts whipping cream and ice cream gives the finished shake a very mouse-like consistency that is light, but still tastes rich enough to be very satisfying.
This particular chocolate shake is made with Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Ice Cream, whipping cream and chocolate syrup. It is light, fluffy and oh-so-smooth when you drink it. I think that the ice cream has a nice chocolate flavor, so I only put about 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup in my drink, but feel free to go crazy if you’re really in the mood for something dark. And don’t forget the whipped cream on top!
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