Soul-Warming Winter Drinks

Over the past few weeks, as illness, chills and deadlines have hit us, Saskia and I have found that evenings are no longer meant for hectic pre-drinks and mad nights out, but rather re-runs of New Girl and lots (and lots) of soul-warming drinks.

The two of us are always partial to tea – normal, green, mint, chai – you name it, we probably chuck it in a mug and infuse it into water. Yet of late, we decided something a little more special was needed to get us through the stress of the end of our first semester of life away from home.

Thus we came up with some warming winter evening drinks to see you through that pesky coursework you were set over the holidays, or the fact that you have only been home for three days but your family is already driving you mad.

Difficulty Rating: Louisa - Saskia - Team Effort Essential

Louisa’s Baileys Hot Chocolate (for Two)

You will need:

·                     Baileys Irish Cream

·                     Hot chocolate powder

·                     Milk

·                     Essential Baileys listening: anything from the Love Actually soundtrack. Go upbeat and get your Hugh Grant on with “Jump” – the Pointer Sisters, or sit back and weep with “Here with Me” – Dido.

1.           Measure two mug-fuls of milk and pour them into a small saucepan. Turn the hob on to medium heat.

2.           Spoon roughly 6 teaspoons of chocolate powder into the milk as it heats (quantity instructions normally found on packet)

3.           Stir thoroughly until all lumps dissolve

4.           Use one small tumbler, or two large shot glasses, to pour Baileys into the milk. Simply up the alcohol content if you’ve had a stressful day! (Don’t. Drink responsibly. And be weary of using these recipes too early on – the nickname “Day-Drinker”, however inaccurate, sticks around)

5.           Stir together until the milk is steaming – do not let it boil

6.           Pour into two mugs, burn your tongue a few times, and enjoy.

Saskia’s Spicy Mulled Wine

You will need:

•  An orange or two clementines
• A bottle of wine
• A cinnamon stick
•  Cloves
•  Nutmeg
• Essential Mulled Wine Listening:  “White Winter Hymnal” - Fleet Foxes

1.   Cut up your citrus fruit into segments (for those of you unfamiliar with the world of fruit—make it look like a chocolate orange)
2. Add the wine, citrus fruit and your choice of spices into a large pan and let it simmer over a low heat until warmed through. Make sure it doesn’t boil !
3. Ladle into adorable mugs (other mugs will suffice, but it’s not as fun).

 Of course, this recipe is just a blueprint, so go crazy with your flavours! Why not try adding…

•   Slices of apple
•  Have a Berry Christmas! Add blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. 
•  Cardamom seeds (best to crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar, or with the flat edge of a knife)
•  A chai tea bag
•  Star Anise
• Feeling a bit chilli? Why not spice up with a bit of the hot stuff and add a few dried chillies or chilli powder.

 ...Saskia is on point with the puns this season.

So there you have it. Warming drinks to see you through coursework, storms, exam stress, and the inevitable failing of your New Year resolutions.

~The Sassy Fox