Day 9
Christmas is on the horizon and we all feel like we’re missing out. But you don’t need to meet your family at a fancy coffee shop to enjoy the winter. Sometimes, the best place to catch up is in the comfort of your own home.
Here are three hot drinks you can make during lockdown. Each one only takes a few minutes to whip up, and all are (in my opinion) much better than their coffee chain counterparts.
1) Hot Spiced Apple
Image credit: Emma Halliday/Brig News
Costa’s version of this warming winter drink comes with plenty of heat and spice, but there’s always room for improvement where alcohol isn’t involved. Glayva liqueur is a sweetened and spiced whiskey, and a perfect addition to hot juice on chilly nights.
You can half this recipe and drink by your lonesome, or double it and share with the whole family!
You will need:
★ 1 litre apple juice
★ Glayva liqueur (optional)
★ 1 cinnamon stick
★ 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
★ 4 whole cloves
(Makes 4 servings)
Method:
Hot spiced apple is an easy make, and very comforting. Heat the apple juice in a pan until hot before adding the cinnamon stick, ground nutmeg and cloves. Stir, cover, and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.
When ready, filter through a sieve into your mug and add a little Glayva liqueur to taste.
If you don’t have liqueur handy, try switching the apple juice for some apple cider! Experiment and enjoy!
2) Baileys Mocha
Image credit: Emma Halliday/Brig News
Another boozy delight you can’t buy from your regular old coffee shop. Baileys hot chocolate has been my go-to comfort drink for years. This mocha recipe offers up the same luxury with the added kick of your favourite coffee. Morning catch-up with your sibling over this absolute delight? I think yes.
You will need:
★ A small amount of strong coffee
★ 250ml milk
★ A splash of double cream
★ 3 tsps hot chocolate powder
★ 1 piece of dark chocolate
★ 1 shot of Baileys
★ Squirty cream
(Makes 1 serving)
Method:
- Brew a small amount of dark coffee. You can use anything you like for this! I used a Vietnamese drip filter (phin cà phê). The coffee should fill around 1/4 of the cup.
- Add your milk, double cream, hot chocolate powder and dark chocolate into a pan and heat slowly.
- When heated, pour the chocolate mixture over your coffee with a shot of baileys. Mix thoroughly and add cream on top!
3) Gingerbread latte
Image credit: Emma Halliday/Brig News
Every year, without fail, I buy a gingerbread latte. Every year, without fail, I am disappointed. These drinks are always too sweet and sickly from the big coffee chains, and they always taste artificial. Here’s how you can make your own (arguably much better) version from home!
I made a simple ginger sugar syrup for my gingerbread latte, but you can exchange this for powdered ginger and sugar if you are in a rush.
You will need:
For the sugar syrup:
★ Grated ginger
★ 1 cup sugar
★ 1 cup water
For the latte (makes 2):
★ 500ml milk
★ A small amount of strong coffee
★ 1/4 tsp powdered nutmeg
★ 2 cloves
★ Squirty cream
Method:
For the sugar syrup:
Easy peasy. Throw the ginger, sugar and water into a pan and heat until all the sugar crystals have disolved. Pour into a container.
For the latte:
Brew your dark coffee (it should fill around 1/4 of the cup). Meanwhile, heat the milk in a pan with the cloves and nutmeg.
Filter the heated milk over the coffee with your ginger syrup, to taste (I like 4 tsps).
It’s that easy! Pipe some cream on top, add a gingerbread biscuit, and enjoy!
All image credit: Emma Halliday/Brig News
Arts Editor for Brig Newspaper. BA (Hons.) English Studies student at UoS.
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