Get on Santa’s Naughty List with this Spiked Hot Cocoa
After a very long wait, it is finally getting cold here on the coast, and we may even be able to turn off the air conditioner for Christmas. (Smile) With colder temperatures rolling in, I am ready to partake in some cozy, comforting beverages.
I am proud to say that I am completely done with my Christmas shopping and decorating, and this year it seems like an accomplishment deserving of a reward: a tasty adult beverage.
Today we will be making Kahlua Hot Cocoa. Kahlua‘s coffee flavor blends perfectly with the chocolatey goodness of hot cocoa in a way that makes this drink a little more naughty than nice. A friend of mine introduced me to this little indulgence a few months ago, and I am obsessed. This drink warms you from the inside out and is especially comforting on a chilly winter night.
Fun Fact:
When working on this recipe, I learned that hot chocolate and hot cocoa were two different drinks. Hot chocolate is actually made by melting chocolate and combining it with hot water, milk, or cream, typically without added sugar since there is already sugar in the chocolate. On the other hand, those swiss miss packets you were enjoying as a kid were hot cocoa. When made from scratch, hot cocoa combines cocoa powder, milk, and sugar. It is usually a lighter-bodied drink.
Today we are making hot cocoa, but you could most definitely add Kahlua to hot chocolate if you prefer.
We are making the hot cocoa from scratch for this spiked beverage, which is pretty simple. If you want to make this drink even faster and easier, you could absolutely use a pre-made mix or even packets, then add Kahlua and your favorite toppings.
To make this drink lighter in calories, go for fat-free or reduced-fat milk and sugar-free syrup.
Now for the toppings:
I personally enjoy mini marshmallows and both chocolate and caramel syrup topping my cup, but you could get very creative with flavors and appearance using toppings like whipped cream, peppermint sticks, cinnamon sticks, etc. I would love to see the combinations you come up with, so make sure to tag @naturallyhooked in your posts.