Hot Cocoa

[RawKnitster]

Do you need somthing special to get through a cold winter? How about cocoa warmed in the vitamix to 105 degrees.There are a lot of great ideas around here for hot cocoa. I've been experimenting and found my own favorite version.

Serves 2

2 cups almond/hazelnut milk (2 parts almond, 1 part hazelnut)
10 pitted deglet noor dates (or 5-6 medjols)
squirt of agave
heaping dessert spoonful of cacao powder
1 whole vanilla bean (seeds only)
1 teaspoon lucuma powder
1 teaspoon maca
sprinkles of cinnamon, ground ginger, and cardomom
pinch of cayenne

Pour the nut milk into the vitamix. If using deglets let the dates soak in the nut milk for 10 minutes. Put the rest of the ingredients in the vitamix and blend until smooth, but not warm. Let it sit and meld the flavors for another 10 minutes. Then blend on high until warm*. Keep your hand on the blender container to feel how warm it's getting. Stop the blender and use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature. Continue blending until it reaches 105 degrees.

I shared it with my brother, along with a few raw cookies. He is not raw, but thought it was the best hot cocoa ever!

*Heating in the vitamix only takes a minute or two on high. A 5200 can actually boil water in 4-5 minutes. Once it gets warm, it heats up fast.

[Jenifae]

Oh Yummy!

Thanks for the Recipe - Knitster :D

[rawviveyourself]

haha - i was on the way to make this last night and halfway through the process i realized i didn't have any nutmilk, so i just made a super thick version and used it for fondue with oranges and bananas. YUM!

[Emma-Liza]

RK, do you think I could make it without the lucuma and maca? I don't have those....Do they add to flavor or texture?

[RawKnitster]

Emma, the first version I made of this was without the maca and lucuma. And the only spices I used were cinnamon and cayenne. It was delicious. The maca has a malty flavor, the lucuma seems similiar. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the maca and/or the lucuma added a thickness and creamy quality to the cocoa.

[Lady Green Jeans]

RawKnitster,

Your recipe sounds delicious. Different from the one I make using brazil nuts as the nut base and adding a banana. Do not have lucuma yet, but will look to pick some up and give your recipe a "no substitues" try. Does the cayenne add depth to the flavor without detectable heat?

[RawKnitster]

Lady Green Jeans, I couldn't have put that into words, but that is exactly what the cayenne does. :D If you can taste it or feel the heat, you've used to much.

[spicyfull]

Thanks......