Cozy Drinks to Enjoy During a Lazy Afternoon
Curated by Little Gestures
When you need a break from the chaos of everyday life, there's nothing better than curling up with a warm, comforting drink. From the familiar indulgence of a homemade cocoa to a treat like Taiwanese Milk Tea, we've gathered a collection of classic cozy drinks perfect for unplugging.
Homemade Cocoa
Kicking off our list with a classic, skip pricy premade cocoa mixes and stock your pantry all the basic ingredients! Not only will you have cocao on demand, but you’ll be able to dial in the flavor exactly how you’d like it: dialing it in to be sweet or sophisticated with subtle savory notes.
As a bonus, the basic ingredients can easily be repurposed in other recipes and baking, rather than taking valuable space in your pantry just for cacao mix. You probably have some of these ingredients already laying around!
Ingredients:
Cacao PowderNatural or dutch process— the only difference is the darkness of the flavor. If you prefer milk chocolate go natural, if dark chocolate, go dutch.
SugarStore bought mixes contain more sugar than you expect— if you want it to have that nostalgic taste, add a lot of sugar. If you’d like a more anytime sippable drink, use less and balance with slightly more vanilla extract.
MilkGo with the fat-content of your choosing. I’ll use whatever we have on hand—we’re a 2% family. The more milk-fat the richer and thicker the final hot chocolate will taste.
Vanilla ExtractRounds out the chocolate flavor, helping it blend with the natural sweetness of the milk.
SaltIt may sound strange but a pinch of salt is absolutely essential! The salt adds a depth of flavor that pulls more character out of the cocoa.
That’s all there is to it! With these 5 simple ingredients, you can jump in and experiment until you find your favorite blend.
Use these suggested measurements to make one serving of cocoa. To prepare for multiple friends just multiply each measurement by the number of people.
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
Bringing it together:
- Mix milk and vanilla in a small saucepan. Turn the stove on to medium heat, and stir continuously until you just hear and see small bubbles emerging.
- Remove from heat immediately once you see these small bubbles, do not let it boil. This is called “Scalding” the milk.
- Once milk is ready, whisk in your dry ingredients (cocoa powder and sugar) plus a dash of salt to add depth to the chocolate flavor. If you’d like to go sweeter, add sugar. For less sweet, back off the sugar and put a dash more vanilla. If you’d like a thinner cocoa, you can substitute milk for hot water.
Hot Taiwanese Milk Tea
If you’re looking for a drink that still has a hint of sweetness, but that isn’t as rich as a full cup of cacao, look no further than a Hot Taiwanese Milk Tea. This simple drink comes together with 3 easy ingredients, in the time it would take you to brew any other tea.
Ingredients:
Your favorite Black TeaThe base of a good milk tea, is of course tea! Keep a pack of black tea handy, and you’ll be able to recreate this special drink anytime.
Brown SugarThe sweetness in traditional Taiwanese milk comes from brown sugar. Brown sugar is sugar that still has molasses content— so in a pinch if you only have white sugar, you can just sub white sugar with a few drops of molasses. The molasses content gives it a caramel sweetness that complements the herbal flavor of black tea perfectly.
MilkAll it takes is a splash to round out the flavors. Ideally you’d use a milk with higher fat content, such as whole milk or half and half, but it’s also fine to use whatever you have on hand.
Building the tea:
- Brew the black tea your mug of choice, leaving room at the top of the glass for a splash of milk. You want to brew an extra strong tea— either by using more bags than usual, or just letting it steep for a little longer.
- Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the prepared tea, and stir until fully dissolved.
- Once ready, just add a splash of milk to top everything off. Enjoy!
London Fog
Similar to a Taiwanese milk tea, London fogs are another milk-tea drink— but you can make it less sweet and experiment with other teas to create a different flavor profile. The coziness of this drink comes from either scalded, steamed, or otherwise frothed milk— and is perfect to warm you right up.
Basic Ingredients:
A Herb-Forward TeaYou can make this with any black tea blend, it’s traditionally made with Earl Grey, but is lovely with English Breakfast, or any black tea. Honestly you can make a similar drink with any tea on hand, from chamomile, to peppermint.
MilkThis recipe works with any milk, so roll with the fat content of your choice. The trick is that the milk should be scalded, steamed, or frothed, to give the drink its characteristic pillowy texture.=
Sugar (Optional)As with the other drinks, the sweetness is your choice! I tend to like London Fogs without sugar, to enjoy the natural flavors of the tea blend—
The procedure:
Start by brewing your black tea blend as you normally would, leaving about the top 1/4th of your mug to be topped off by milk. For the milk, you’re going to incorporate some bubbles by one of three methods.
- You can scald your milk (bring it to heat over a stove until just bubbling, not boiling), while whisking (a fork will work)
- Steam your milk if you have access to a steam wand/espresso machine.
- If you have a frothing device, you can use it to froth your milk according to instructions
Once your milk is ready, pour on top of your brewed tea and sweeten with sugar to taste (optional).
Make these classics yours
Think of these recipes as guidelines not rules—the possibilities are endless! Play around with the sweetness or try adding toppings like marshmallows or a dash of cinnamon. The best part about cozy drinks indulging in a personal moment– find what feels best for you and let the warmth melt all your worries away.
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