Aside from coffee and tea, most of us do not venture forth too frequently into the realm of the hot drink. It’s a shame, as a nicely made cup of something — be it an Italian bicerin (a hot mocha drink from Turin), a Swedish glogg (rhymes with “chug”), an Indian chai or even a mug of hot Dr Pepper (apparently a New Year’s favorite in some households) — can hit the spot, especially on a chilly winter’s night. The new book “Hot Drinks” by Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss (Ten Speed Press, 2007) is devoted to the subject, and three other freshly minted volumes, “Mocha” by Michael Turback (Ten Speed Press, 2007); “Coffee” by Betty Rosbottom (Chronicle, 2007); and “The Ski House Cookbook” by Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo (Clarkson Potter, 2007), all devote considerable ink to steaming beverages.

These recipes don’t take a huge amount of work, and they turn a Sunday afternoon or a weeknight evening into a party. Many can serve as dessert. They don’t, generally speaking, require too much fancy equipment or special glassware. They can be served plain or fancifully garnished with fruit or berries, cinnamon sticks or cream.

As with any type of cooking, the quality of ingredients matters. Get the best you can afford. A “hot drinks” pantry contains the following (mostly from the Heisses’ book):

Spices and flavorings: cinnamon sticks (preferably Ceylon cinnamon sticks), chili peppers (ancho, Chimayo or pasilla), cardamom pods, fresh mint, star anise and sherry pepper sauce (a product of Bermuda and Jamaica), fleur de sel (French sea salt) and bittersweet chocolate (72 percent cacao). Also: pure vanilla extract, whole nutmeg, whole cloves, fresh and candied ginger, black peppercorns, fresh citrus fruits.

Sweeteners: granulated cane sugar, Demerara sugar (a large-grained, semi-raw sugar; use turbinado or light brown sugar as a substitute), irregularly cut “European-style” sugar cubes, superfine sugar, flavored syrups of the kind used in coffee bars (the Heisses recommend Monin brand), honey and pure maple syrup.

Nonalcoholic beverages: bitters (orange or blood-orange bitters), apple cider, Dutch process cocoa powder (the Heisses recommend Bensdorp, Droste, Van Houten, Michel Cluizel, Slitti and Valrhona), fresh coffee beans (Viennese or French roast), tea (preferably black tea from Kenya or the Assam region of India, Chinese green teas such as Stash brand Premium Green Tea, and Japanese green teas such as Stash’s Sushi Bar Mild Green Tea or Peet’s brand Sencha tea bags), whole milk, whipping or heavy cream, frozen lemonade concentrate and fruit juices.

Alcoholic beverages: vodka (plain, as well as Absolut Citron and Absolut Peppar), aquavit, Chambord, Drambuie, Frangelico, junmai ginjo-style sake, Limoncello, Madeira, Midori, wine, brandy, Kahlua and an orange-flavored liqueur such as Grand Marnier.



MAYAN HOT CHOCOLATE WITH CHILI AND ORANGE

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (72 percent cacao), coarsely chopped

4 teaspoons Dutch process cocoa powder

4 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ancho or Chimayo chili (Ancho chili powder is sold in many supermarkets)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 teaspoons heavy cream

1-1/2 cups water

4 orange wedges

2 cinnamon sticks (preferably Ceylon cinnamon) for garnish

Melt the chocolate in a 4-cup glass measuring cup in a microwave for 90 seconds on 70 percent powder. Stir until smooth. (You can also do this in a saucepan set over very low heat. Watch carefully to prevent scorching.)

In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder, sugar, ground chili and cinnamon. Blend thoroughly until free of lumps. Add the cream to make a thick paste.

Add the paste to the melted chocolate, mix well, then add the water and stir until thoroughly combined. Heat in the microwave for 90 seconds at 70 percent power, stirring once after 45 seconds. (You can also do this in a pot, on the stovetop.)

Squeeze an orange wedge into each of two mugs. Divide the hot chocolate evenly between the mugs and stir well. Garnish with the remaining orange wedges and the cinnamon sticks.

Yield: 2 servings

Recipe from “Hot Drinks” by Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss (Ten Speed Press, 2007)



MONK’S ROBE

3 cups Dr Pepper soda

1-1/2 cups Ruby Red grapefruit juice

2 thick slices of fresh ginger

4 thin slices of lemon

4 thick slices of orange

Combine the soda, juice and ginger in a saucepan set over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Don’t boil, as this will make the soda flat.

Place 1 slice each of lemon and orange in each of four mugs and divide the hot beverage evenly among them. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from “Hot Drinks” by Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss (Ten Speed Press, 2007)



MASALA CHAI

3 cups water

1-1/2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 (5-inch) cinnamon sticks (preferably Ceylon cinnamon), each broken into four pieces

12 green cardamom pods, cracked (use your fingertips or a mortar and pestle)

8 thin slices of fresh ginger

2 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea, or 6 black tea bags

2 teaspoons Demerara sugar (or turbinado or light brown sugar)

Combine the water and milk in a saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in the cloves, pepper, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and ginger and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tea and sugar, turn off the heat and steep for 3 minutes.

Stir once, strain into teacups or tea glasses, and serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from “Hot Drinks” by Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss (Ten Speed Press, 2007)



GLOGG

1-1/2 cups vodka

10 whole cloves

10 cardamom pods

2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled

zest of 1 orange

1 (750-milliters) bottle of inexpensive red wine

1/2 cup sugar

In a small bowl, combine the vodka, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and orange zest. Set aside for at least 1 hour, or cover and set aside for 1 week.

Combine the wine and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the vodka mixture and return to a simmer.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from “The Ski House Cookbook” by Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo (Clarkson Potter, 2007)



BICERIN CLASSICO

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon sugar

6 ounces whole milk

3 ounces Gianduja (Italian hazelnut chocolate) or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

pinch of salt

8 ounces brewed espresso or very strong coffee

 

Whip the cream and sugar just until very soft peak forms. Set aside.

Heat the milk slowly in a small saucepan set over low heat, stirring frequently, until steaming. Be careful not to scorch it. Add the chopped chocolate and salt, stirring slowly over low heat. Do not allow to boil. When chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, remove from heat.

Pour 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of freshly brewed espresso into each of four short-stemmed glasses. Hold a tablespoon against the inside of each glass and pour the warm chocolate mixture over the spoon, into each glass, to create a separate layer. Again, using the tablespoon, float the cream over the top of each drink.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from “Mocha” by Michael Turback (Ten Speed Press, 2007)

 

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Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.