Dirty Spiked Hot Chocolate

I was struggling to come up with a simple but fun cocktail for the week and a conversation with a good friend reminded me that I can use the crockpot to make some simple warm winter cocktails! If you are making this for yourself you can do a single or double version just as simply in a saucepan on the stove.

One of my favorite cafe drinks is a Dirty Chai. It is a Chai tea with a shot of espresso. This cocktail is a version of that made with hot chocolate and a shot of Espresso Liquor! What a perfect Aprés Ski Drink!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

Pinch of salt

1 cup milk or any non-dairy milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 oz Espresso Liquor

Whipped Cream or Marshmallows

Cinnamon

Whisk together the cocoa, sugar, salt, and about 2 tablespoons milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until cocoa and sugar are dissolved. Whisk in the rest of the milk and heat it over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until it is hot. Stir in the vanilla and the espresso liquor. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon!

This recipe makes one cup but you can multiply these ingredients to make as many cups as desired. Or, as mentioned above you can make it in the crock pot to serve for a large get together! To do this you would add the desired cups of milk, sugar and salt to the crockpot. Heat on high for approx one hour until the milk is hot and whisk in the cocoa powder and vanilla. Heat for an additional 30 minutes. Add the espresso liquor and the garnishes to each cup as you serve. If you prefer marshmallows to whipped cream they will be just as good! And, if you don’t like Espresso Liquor you can substitute with Liquor 43 or Jameson Whiskey.