Spiced Hot Chocolate

There is no better remedy for the cold than hot chocolate.  And by that I mean "cold weather," not cold as in fever, sore throat, and stuffy nose. Although hot chocolate does make you forget how miserable you are when you're sick, at least temporarily.  So hey, go for it!

I'm just getting over my first cold of the year (yes, even us vegans get sick once in awhile); in fact, it's one of the first colds I can remember having in years.  I think it was the stress of the last week of the semester, combined with a hectic cooking schedule, and planning menus for several upcoming holiday events... which equated to:  no sleep.  Oh, yeah, and this crazy single-digit winter weather.  Brrrr... Which brings me back to my reason for this post.   Hot chocolate.  It warms you up.

I felt I needed an extra kick to mine, so I stirred in a bunch of spices which are not only warming, but healing:  ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.  I even added a pinch of cayenne pepper to get the circulation going.  The end result?  ahhh... soothing as a soak in a hot tub.

Spiced Hot Chocolate

2 Tbl cocoa powder

2 Tbl Sucanat

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp cloves

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch sea salt

1 cup vanilla soy milk

1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot and whisk together on medium heat until bubbles begin to form.  Bring pot to a low simmer for several minutes or until heated thoroughly, continuing to stir to remove any lumps (personally, I don't mind a few chunks of cocoa powder here and there).