Tag

winter

Beverages Foodie Parties Holiday Recipes

Hazelnut Liqueur Hot Chocolate

written by Ali

It’s almost the weekend and it’s time for a hazelnut liqueur hot chocolate. Bonus points – I’m including a recipe for the best homemade hot chocolate mix that you can booze up…or not. Hubby reminded me the other day that we are just ten weekends away from Christmas. Which means six or so weekends until it’s time to put up the Christmas tree, make some fruitcake, and start listening to holiday music. I can promise you I’ll be sipping on hazelnut liqueur hot chocolate throughout the season.

I’ll also be enjoying my instant hot chocolate mix. I’ll confess – one of my all time favorite things when I was growing up was the instant hot chocolate that came in packets and had those little mini-marshmallows in them. Nowadays, I’m a little fussier about what I eat and, unfortunately, that packet hot chocolate has some ingredients in it I’m not so likely to want to drink. I discovered a few years ago that I could, with just a few ingredients, easily make my own instant hot chocolate. So around this time of year, I love making up a large batch for both home and work.

#Choctoberfest motivated me to make my instant hot chocolate early this year. And then, because it was almost the weekend, I opted to add in some hazelnut liqueur, along with little bit of a secret ingredient: a half ounce of Godiva chocolate liqueur. It’s not absolutely necessary for this recipe, but if you have some on hand, definitely toss it in. Best yet, make up some fresh whipped cream with just a dash of hazelnut liqueur.

Here’s my advice for enjoying this hazelnut liqueur hot chocolate: get into a comfy sweater. Pull out a good book (here of late, Louise Penny, Janet Evanovich, and JD Robb have been my favorite writers for cozy weekends). Snuggle with the nearest pet. Enjoy!

Yum

Hazelnut Liqueur Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

Homemade Instant Hot Chocolate

1 cup cocoa
2 cups powdered milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Hazelnut Liqueur Hot Chocolate

1/8 cup homemade instant hot chocolate
2 ounces hazelnut liqueur
1/2 ounce Godiva chocolate liqueur
whipped cream

Instructions

Make the homemade instant hot chocolate mix by sifting all the ingredients together. Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Makes 6 cups of instant hot chocolate.
Combine 1/8 cup of homemade instant hot chocolate with hazelnut liqueur and Godiva chocolate liqueur. Add 8 ounces of boiling hot water and stir to combine. Serve with whip creamed if desired. Enjoy!

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October 20, 2017 1 comment

Beverages Holiday Recipes

Winter Fruit Sangria

written by Ali

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, this is my favorite time of the year. I’m a fan of sparkly decorations, glittery lights, and everything that a winter wonderland entails. And of course, holiday food, especially when I’m on break from work and have time to experiment in the kitchen (while listening to Pink Martini, Diana Krall, and Nat King Cole’s holiday albums, of course).

Sangria is one of my favorite drinks to make, as it showcases seasonal fruit so well. My local little quirky grocery store stocks kumquats this time of year, so I’m sure to do my best to get my fill. The persimmons grow happily here in my region of the PNW and I had several that had been hanging out from the farmer’s market since Thanksgiving. These are Fuyu persimmons – so can be eaten safely before they are entirely ripe (Hachiya are the other common type of persimmon and are very, very astringent if they aren’t ripe). I also used a bit of the kumquat simple syrup from last week to sweeten the sangria.

Winter Fruit Sangria

1 bottle of red wine (I used a red wine blend from California. I also like to use a fruity Zinfandel or even a Cabernet for sangria)
1/4 cup Brandy
1/8 cup Kumquat simple syrup
1 Fuyu persimmon, sliced
1 Meyer lemon, sliced
½ cup whole cranberries
½ cup whole kumquats
¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Combine ingredients in a pitcher or a quart Mason jar. I usually use a Mason jar, which won’t be large enough for all the wine, and just add the remaining wine after I’ve poured my first glass. Stir and chill. If you are patient enough, it’s best to let the sangria hang out for a while in the fridge – four or so hours lets the flavors develop.

Serve with a bit (or a lot) of the fruit.

December 19, 2015 0 comment

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Salad Vegetarian

Midwinter Delicata Squash and Greens Salad

written by Ali

My lunch this week was all about the squash: butternut squash ravioli, butternut squash and chocolate chip muffins (link here), and Delicata squash salad.

The Delicata squash was from my autumn stash. I came to love Delicata even more than other winter squash when I learned it could be eaten peel and all. It requires minimal effort to cook – just slice, de-seed and roast with a bit of olive oil. Delicata is also incredibly photogenic, as demonstrated here:

And here:

The Delicata squash rings for the salad went into the oven at 350 degrees, were drizzled with a little olive oil, and cooked about 20 minutes. I flipped them over half way through.

This salad includes cranberries, a seasonal fruit that I don’t often see included raw; however, sliced thinly, these give the salad a lovely tart and crisp bite.

Midwinter Delicata Squash and Greens Salad

Serves 1 – but could easily be adapted for multiple hungry salad lovers

1 good handful salad greens or spinach
About 6 cranberries, sliced
About 8 hazelnuts
2 or 3 roasted Delicata squash rings
Pinch of salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 or 2 tablespoons Champagne Vinegar Dressing (below)

Place greens on a plate or in a bowl and layer the cranberries, hazelnuts and squash on top. Drizzle with dressing and salt and pepper to taste.

Champagne Vinegar Dressing

¼ Champagne Vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
Pinch of salt and a pinch of fresh ground pepper

Put all ingredients in a small jar, cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously.

December 16, 2015 0 comment