This Week’s 7 – Recipes to Warm You

This Week’s 7 – Recipes to Warm You

by Susan H. Lawrence

Each Monday on the Pure Purpose blog, I feature This Week’s 7, a simple list about an everyday topic, giving you ideas and encouragement. One of my favorite things to do on a chilly day is wrap my hands around a warm mug and sip on a decadent drink, feeling the warmth run down my throat and chase away the chill from the inside out. Today I’m sharing a few recipes for warm drinks. Invite some friends to savor the warmth alongside you. Be creative, and put your own twist on these…and share your favorites!

Spiced Hot Chocolate

  • 4 cups prepared hot cocoa with 1% milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 cinnamon sticks

Combine cocoa, nutmeg and chili powder. Pour into mugs and serve with a cinnamon stick.

Cider Snap

  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 4 teaspoons red  cinnamon candies
  • 4 slices apples, thinly sliced

Combine apple cider and cinnamon candies. Microwave, uncovered, on 100% power for 4 to 5 minutes or till  candies dissolve and the cider is steaming hot, stirring once. Serve in mugs, garnished with apple slices.

Coffeebar Chai Tea

  • 2 cups water
  • 4 black tea bags
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups milk
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add tea, honey and vanilla. Season with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in milk, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and strain through a fine sieve.
Hot Cranberry Tea
  • 1/2 gallon orange juice
  • 1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle cranberry-raspberry juice
  • 1 (16 ounce) can pineapple juice
  • 2 (2.25 ounce) packages small red cinnamon candies
  • 1/2 gallon water
  • 8 tea bags
Combine the orange juice, cranberry-raspberry juice, pineapple juice, and cinnamon candies in a large stockpot; cook over high heat until the candies dissolve. Combine the water and tea bags in a separate pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes; pour into juice mixture. Serve hot.
Pumpkin Spice Coffee
  • 1/4 cup ground coffee
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons half-and-half cream, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

Mix the ground coffee, allspice, and cinnamon in a small bowl, and place into the filter of a drip coffee maker. Pour 4 cups of water into the coffee maker, and turn on the machine. When coffee has finished dripping, pour into 2 cups. Stir in cream and sugar to taste.

Gingerbread Coffee

  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 6 cups hot brewed coffee
  • 1 cup half-and-half cream
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened whipped cream
In a small bowl, mix together the molasses, brown sugar, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. Add about a 1/4 cup of coffee to each cup, then stir in about a tablespoon of the spice mixture until dissolved. Fill cup to within an inch of the top with coffee. Stir in half and half to taste, then garnish with whipped cream and a light dusting of cloves.
Wassail Punch
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 6 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
  • 3 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 quarts orange juice
  • 2 cups lemon juice
  • 1 gallon apple cider
Wrap the cloves, cinnamon stick, and ginger in cheese cloth, and tie with string. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water and spice bag.  Simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, stir in the orange juice, lemon juice, and cider.  Reheat over medium low flame, and serve warm. Be careful not to boil.

2 thoughts on “This Week’s 7 – Recipes to Warm You”

  1. Yum! Thanks for sharing. We live in a tropical place where it’s rarely cold, but delicious drinks like these help us imagine that it’s winter. LOL! Wonderful.

    Reply

    1. I love that idea…so next month, I’ll be featuring some tropical drinks for those of us in warm climates to enjoy through the winter months to imagine summer! Do you have any favorites you want to share?

      Reply

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