A Trio of Hot, Drinkable Treats

It's thunder storming here today. I love thunderstorms, and it makes me want something warm to drink, which reminded me of these recipes...which I've been meaning to post since February...but I have just never found the time to take the pictures. I've finally given up on doing so while at school [less than a week until I'm home..ah] and was sick of seeing this as a draft, so I am posting it anyways. Pictures will come eventually. On with the recipes...

I always want a warm drink as soon as I wake up in the morning, but crave something more substantial than just tea. I used to love London Fogs, so, in an attempt to mimic one, I ended incorporating this drink into my morning routine:

Milky Morning Tea

Ingredients:

• 20 grams (1 Tbsp) honey
• 1 cup (8 oz) strong tea (Earl grey would be typical of a London Fog, but, for the benefits of the spices, I now like to use Chai)
• 1 cup (8 oz) milk (I use skim, but I am sure any would do)
• splash of vanilla (optional)
• pinch of fine sea salt (optional)
• dash of cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a kettle and steep your tea. Combine milk and tea in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, measure honey into your mug and stir in vanilla and sea salt.
3. Once milk/tea is steaming, but not boiling, pour into mug, stirring to dissolve the honey. Top with a dash of cinnamon.

Sometimes, I also like something warm right before I go to bed but I don't want caffeine.

This is what I drink instead—I use maple syrup rather than honey, both to mix up the kind of sweetener I'm consuming, but also because I find maple syrup has a much stronger, more distinct flavour which makes the drink a special treat.

Maple Steamer for One

Ingredients:

• 20 grams (1 Tbsp) maple syrup
• 1 cup (8 oz) hot water*
• 1 cup (8 oz) milk (I use skim, but I am sure any would do)
• splash of vanilla (optional)
• pinch of fine sea salt (optional)
• dash of cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a kettle. Combine milk and water in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, measure maple syrup in your mug and stir in vanilla and sea salt.

3. Once milk/water is steaming, but not boiling, pour into mug and top with a dash of cinnamon.

This next recipe came about because I really wanted hot chocolate, but couldn't find a balance between the bitterness of cocoa and my reluctance to add more than two tablespoons of sweetener. Since carob is naturally sweeter than chocolate, I decided to give it a try. This drink is one of my, and James', favourite treats.

Hot Carob Drink for One

Ingredients:

• 6 grams (1 Tbsp) carob powder
• 20 grams (1 Tbsp) honey or maple syrup
• 1 cup (8 oz) hot water (tea or coffee)*
• 1 cup (8 oz) milk (I use skim, but I am sure any would do—James uses lactose-free)
• a splash of vanilla (optional)
• pinch of fine sea salt (optional)
• any spice you like (optional)—my favourites are:
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• cloves
• a pinch of cayenne

Instructions:

1. Boil water.

2. Meanwhile, mix together honey and carob in your mug until it forms a sort of paste or syrup. Stir in the salt, and spices of your choice.

3. Pour boiled water into mug and stir until the syrup is dissolved.

4. Combine water/carob mix with milk in a saucepan and heat over medium, stirring occasionally.

5. Add vanilla to the empty mug. Pour in carob drink when it has reached the desired temperature (don't boil it).

* Feel free to reduce or skip the cup of water and replace it with another cup of milk; I just don't notice a difference in taste and like to increase the size of my drink without the extra serving of milk.

Anyways, that's all. I know they're very basic recipes, but I just thought I'd share anyways. Anyone have any simple drinks/variations they love?