Hazelnut Bourbon Hot Chocolate: A Holiday Helper

Last updated on October 25th, 2020

There’s no easy fix for how a lot of us are feeling right now.

Part of me feels frivolous for even suggesting that we bake pies and eat gingerbread cookies when things seem so bleak, but I’m not a pessimist at heart.

I’m a worrier, a fretter, and a complainer, but what I always want to do above all is make things better.

And how do I do that? With phone calls, with donations, with volunteering, and with food. And with hazelnut bourbon hot chocolate.

We have one month to go in 2016, and it’s an important one for revving up our engines of hope, determination, and resolutions for a better future.

I can’t promise that 2017 will be a miraculous improvement or even that December will manage to be truly merry, but I can try to help things along.

And I’m not saying that you need booze to get through the holiday season, but in the interest of making spirits bright, we might as well use a few shots to get the good vibes going.

With a few generous spoonfuls of warm spices and a few more generous pours of bourbon and hazelnut liqueur, an already-comforting mug of hot chocolate becomes a decidedly festive party drink that you should by no means keep in arms’ reach of the kids’ table.

If you’re feeling ambitious, or antsy, or just need a project for the next few weeks, you can make your own homemade hazelnut liqueur.

If you (like me) would prefer a bit more instant gratification, pick up a bottle of Frangelico or Creme de Noisette while you’re stocking the holiday bar.

You won’t have to wait two weeks to get your boozy hot chocolate going, which is a fair trade-off in my book.

I usually take my hot chocolate straight—that is, I forego the whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and marshmallows to let the drink be my only indulgence.

But if we’re going all out here, we might as well go all out.

For my husband, hot chocolate simply isn’t worth drinking unless it’s got a mountain of whipped cream on top, and does not discriminate between the homemade kind (yes, he makes it himself) or the sprayed-from-a-can kind (with a little extra spritz right into the mouth, as is right and correct).

But if I may make a more outré suggestion: have you considered topping your hot chocolate with gobs of marshmallow fluff?

That’s what’s floating on the drinks in these photographs, and frankly, it’s unabashedly decadent. Think of it as an extra layer of holiday therapy if you must.

So let’s give ourselves permission to enjoy the holidays, even if just for a little bit, and to use the time to strengthen our reserves for the coming year.

We don’t have to wait one more week. We can start now with a mug of hazelnut bourbon hot chocolate: our secret weapon that will power us through.

A hazelnut substitute for nut allergies:

This cocktail can be an equally festive drink by substituting equal parts ginger liqueur and allspice dram, a spiced liqueur also used in the Christmas Island tiki cocktail, in place of the hazelnut liqueur.

Hazelnut Bourbon Hot Chocolate

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Hazelnut bourbon hot chocolate spices up classic hot chocolate with a little extra warmth. It might help you get through the holidays, or even the entire cold winter season.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 cups (1 quart) whole or reduced-fat milk
• 1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico
• 3 tablespoons bourbon

For Garnish

• whipped cream or
• marshmallow fluff
• additional cocoa powder for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger, and cloves together in a small (1-quart) saucepan.
2. Pour in 1/4 cup milk and whisk until a paste forms, then slowly whisk in the remaining milk.
3. As soon as the milk comes to a simmer, remove from the heat and whisk in the bourbon and hazelnut liqueur.
4. Pour the hot chocolate into 4 12- to 16-ounce mugs
5. Top with whipped cream or marshmallow fluff and sprinkle with cocoa powder, if desired.
6. Drink immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 116mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 2gSugar: 40gProtein: 11g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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