I hope everyone had a Merry/Happy Whatever! Our Christmas was a bit eventful—after brunch we had to rush our kitty Loki to the emergency vet due to a blocked urethra. This is a very dangerous condition in male cats which causes them to be unable to urinate. The wastes from the urine build up, distending the bladder and causing extreme pain, sickness, and death if not treated quickly. Thankfully we got him in before he became too sick and he is already on the mend and will hopefully be coming home tomorrow. I am so thankful that we live only 20 minutes from a 24-hour vet hospital and that the caring individuals got him in right away to begin taking care of him. We visited him yesterday and all the vet techs and the vet taking care of him just love how friendly he is. He really loves going to the vet so he made friends easily once he got to feeling better. Of course, this little trip wasn’t cheap but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t wait to get my boy home tomorrow!
On a happier note, this post is for my Spiked Hot Chocolate! With winter in full swing, we could all use a little extra something in our drinks to keep us warm and this recipe is perfect for that.
A bit of back story—Robert works with some truck drivers from Russia who are always bringing him bottles of liquor. I don’t know why; he’s not even sure except that they are just really giving, friendly guys. We often get various kinds of Armenian brandy and champagne as well as the occasional bottle of vodka or tequila. For Thanksgiving, they brought him a gift set of Patron XO Café and XO Café Dark Cocoa, which are chocolate/coffee flavored liquors. I had an entire container of Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder that needed to be used so I figured they would go great together. From the Patron website, here are the descriptions for each flavor:
Patron XO Café: Patrón XO Cafe is an extraordinary blend of ultra-premium Patrón Silver tequila and the pure, natural essence of fine coffee. The taste is dry, not sweet as with most low-proof coffee liqueurs with notes of chocolate and vanilla. Patrón XO Cafe is excellent for sipping, as a premium cocktail ingredient, or as a unique and delicious dessert topping.
Patron XO Café Dark Cocoa: Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa combines high-quality Patrón Silver tequila with the extraordinary essence of fine coffee and Criollo chocolate from Mexico to create a unique and enjoyable ultra-premium coffee liqueur. Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa marries the smooth, dry taste of Patrón XO Cafe with the decadence of rich chocolate and light tequila.
I don’t know about sipping either of these but then again I really am not a fan of drinking any liquor straight. So I decided to mix them with hot chocolate. You could use Kahlua (also vegan) or even Fragelico if you aren’t a fan of coffee flavor. Whatever floats your boat, really. And if you aren’t sure what liquors are vegan, check out Barnivore.com.
For this recipe I used the XO Dark because it is sweeter than the regular XO. I did not add any sugar as the recipe on the Ghirardelli container called for because the sugar in the liquor made it just sweet enough while still retaining a little bit of earthy bitterness from the cocoa powder. Again, you can add it if you feel necessary. I certainly would add some when using the XO because it has little sweetness to it, making for a stronger coffee flavor. You can also adjust the amount of liquor you add; neither of these is overwhelmingly strong alcohol-wise when mixed with the milk and cocoa but some people might prefer a less intense taste.
Spiked Hot Chocolate (makes 2 large mugs)
3 cups non-dairy milk of your choice—experiment if you want; I used plain old soy milk but I bet vanilla soy milk, almond, or even coconut would take equally delicious!
4 tablespoons Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder
Approx 2 ounces (2 shotglasses) Patron XO Café Dark Cocoa
Sugar, optional
Pour milk into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk constantly until milk is hot (approximately 5-7 minutes) and cocoa is completely incorporated. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan with the whisk or else you will end up with a layer of cooked cocoa that is a pain to wash out. Remove pan from the heat. Pour a generous shots’ worth of the liquor into each mug and carefully pour an even amount of cocoa mixture into each mug. Stir and enjoy!
Hope kitty feels better! That mug is the cutest thing! Happy New Year!
Thank you! He’s home and resting comfortably. The mug I bough last Halloween at Barnes and Noble; I just love it.
Have a very Happy New Year!
Oh wow, I didn’t even know that Patron made chocolate or coffee liqueurs, or that either were vegan! Shows how often I buy alcohol. This sounds like a real treat though that would be worth the splurge.
I would definitely say it’s worth the splurge; like I said, it’s a perfect balance of alcohol and cocoa flavor. I think Patron is some of the best tequila period, so you definitely get what you pay for.
I’m a fan of anything spiked
And I’m glad to hear Loki will be home soon! Poor little dude!
Really, now? I never would have guessed
Loki is doing much better. He’s even started picking on Yvaine again, which tells me he is back to normal.
I hope you’re kitty is better! SOOOOOOO scary! And of course, LOVE the hot cocoa! Just about everything’s better spiked! LOL. AND I can’t believe your boyfriend’s from NM! I worked for Sen. Bingaman here in DC! (He just retired.). SMALL world, no? Happy New Year!
It is a small world! That’s part of the fun of the blogging world–you never know what connections you might have with someone else.
I totally agree–I can’t think of anything that isn’t made better with some spirits!
Yum! I could go for some spiked hot chocolate right about now
It does sound good, deosn’t it?
haha, ohhh I love your work! Can I please come over at tea time? That mug is adorable and I hope your beautiful kitty is all healed now. x
Anytime, I’d love to have you
Loki is doing much better. I’m glad to have my handsome boy healthy again!
MMMMM! Your hot chocolate looks tasty & I love your black cat mug: so cute too!
Thank you! I love that mug; if only my real black cat looked so innocent