Warm up your cockles!!! (Hot Drinks)

Member Name: KELLY170980

Product:	Hot Drinks
Date:	11/11/08 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Warms you up and gives a bit of xmas cheer!! and your guests will like it too.

Disadvantages: Depends on if you like alcohol, but if you dont try the hot chocolate one

Well I'm sure most of you will agree its getting really cold outside and with the Christmas season coming up I thought I'd write down some nice hot drinks for you to make for your guests or even yourself.

**Eggnog**

Eggnog is traditionally more drank by the Americans, but I tried some a few years back and loved it, although be careful how much run you put in as it can be quite deceiving and before you know it you are singing Jingle bells while standing on the kitchen table!!!! Ooops is that just me that gets like that???

**Ingredients **

850 ml (1½ pint) Milk
850 ml (1½ pint) Cream
340ml (12fl oz) Brandy
280g (10oz) Sugar split into 170g and 110 g measurements
110ml (4fl oz) Rum
6 Large egg yolks and 6 egg whites

Grated nutmeg to taste

**Instructions**

1. Heat milk just until small bubbles form without boiling.

2. Beat egg yolks with 170 g sugar until light and fluffy. Add hot milk and mix well.

3. Place over low heat or hot water and cook, while stirring, until mixture thickens (too much heat and too long cooking will cause it to curdle so be careful I have done this so many times).

4. Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually adding the 110 g cup sugar.

5. Fold whites into hot milk mixture.

6. Stir in rum and cream slowly. Serve hot with some grated nutmeg. (Although you can serve chilled if you prefer)

**Mulled wine**

I love mulled wine...but not for the taste, as it's not really my kind of tipple but the smell that goes through your house is lovely and a lot of my family like to drink it so never gets wasted.

**Ingredients**

1 bottle red wine
12 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
rind of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar

**Instructions**

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and simmer gently over a medium heat until hot.

Do not boil it though.

And hey presto you have mulled wine, it's a very simple recipe and I do not think you can go wrong to be honest.

I would suggest you serve in mugs as I find it stained my glasses slightly one year...so I have found mugs easier, or if you have some of those nice glass cups you can get they are good too.

**Yummy hot chocolate**

Dependant on your like for alcohol, then you may choose to have a non alcoholic hot drink which in that case try and make your drink a bit more special, like the following recipe for hot chocolate, its more of a treat and I would not recommend you have it too much as calories wise I do not think that would be too wise...hehe!!! Especially if it goes straight to your hips like me!!! although all these drinks are not too good when it comes to calories.

**Ingredients**

The ingredients you can change dependant on how many cups you are making.

* 6 tbs cocoa powder
* 6 tbs sugar
* 2 1/2 cups milk
* 2 1/2 cups light cream
* 1/2 tsp vanilla
* Cinnamon, whipped cream and orange zest

**Instructions**

1. Add sugar and cocoa to milk and heat in a saucepan until dissolved.

2.Add the cream, cinnamon and vanilla.

3.Heat until almost boiling.

4.Mix well and serve

5.Topped with whipped cream and a bit of orange zest grated on the top.

I hope some of these recipes will come in handy for these cold winter nights and Christmas celebrations coming up.

Summary: Treat yourself and make your drinks a bit more special especially in the xmas season