Spicy hot chocolate

I made an impulse buy the other day… of a packet of Mexican hot cocoa mix. I often crave hot cocoa this time of year so I thought I’d give this Mexican hot cocoa a go. I already knew that I liked the combination of chocolate and chiles, so I guessed this would be a amazing. Unfortunately, it was less than impressive. Much less. As usual, I thought, “I could do this better!” So I made my own Spicy Hot Cocoa. And it’s good. Really good. My version, although unbelievably simple, truly WOW-ed me. Seriously. I know you’re supposed to use really high-quality cocoa and high-quality spices for this, but I just used my run of the mill copbaord basics and got a really rich cocoa with a nice earthy and spicy kick. I don’t think I can ever go back to plain hot chocolate again.

SPICY HOT COCOA

This spicy hot cocoa is rich and warm with a slight kick from cayenne pepper and cinnamon to heat you up inside and out, no matter how cold it is outside!

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/16 tsp cayenne pepper 250ml simple cow milk

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne. Heat the milk until hot, but not boiling. (Heat in a small sauce pan over medium-low, whisking often, or microwave for about 1.5 – 2 minutes). Once the milk is hot, whisk in the cocoa and spices. Drink. Be happy.

Yum