3. December

On such a cold December day, there is nothing better than coming home after a long trot in the forest or by the sea and making yourself a cup of hot chocolate or a good glass of white mulled wine. You get both recipes right here. Get well.

Hot chocolate, 2 large cups

 ½ dl water,
100 g dark chocolate,
2 cups whole milk,
2 cl cointreau, can be omitted
4 tablespoons of whipped cream,
For decoration:
cocoa powder,
chopped hazelnuts,
grated chocolate.

 Melt the chocolate in the water, add milk and heat. Wait for the liquor until the end and top with whipped cream, sprinkle with cocoa powder, chopped nuts and grated chocolate.

Light mulled wine, for 6 people

The juice from 2 oranges or 3 dl good orange juice,
2 freshly squeezed lemons,
1 l apple juice,
6 thin slices of fresh ginger,
6 star anise,
1 dl cane sugar,
10 cardamom capsules,
2 cinnamon sticks,
1 vanilla pod,
1 dl white port wine, or elderflower juice
1 dl white rum or elderflower juice
1 bottle of white wine, - or apple juice
100 g almonds
possibly 100 g light raisins.

Put orange and lemon juice in a saucepan together with apple juice, ginger and cane sugar. Add the cardamom pods, star anise, cinnamon sticks and the grains from the vanilla pod. Let it all simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Let it soak for a few more hours, possibly while you go for a walk. Pass the extract through a cloth so that only the juice remains. Mix it up with wine or juice and heat up before serving.

If it has to be alcohol-free, you can use elderflower juice instead of rum and port, and apple juice to sweeten the broth with.

 Hugs from Vivian