Tipple | Orangey Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate’s great, but add orange (and perhaps a splash of Cointreau) and it’s hard to go back.

Serves 6

2ltr whole milk
1 large orange
6 tbsp dark hot chocolate powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp grated fresh nutmeg Cointreau (optional)

1 Warm the milk in a large saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer.

2 Cut the orange in half, cutting each half into half-moon slices. Put six aside and add the rest to the saucepan, along with the hot chocolate powder, ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

3 Simmer gently for 5 mins, keeping the heat low to prevent it from boiling. Stir frequently to avoid the milk from catching on the pan. Once ready, discard the orange segments.

4 To serve, pour into cups and add a shot of Cointreau for a boozy extra, if desired. Garnish each cup with one of the orange slices set aside earlier.

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our March ‘gathering’ pages, which this month is a menu for a crafternoon of ‘loose ends’ projects. It also includes recipes for Carrot & Ginger Soup, Spiced Chicken Skewers, Roast Paprika Sweet Potato Wedges, Whipped Feta & Pistachio Dip and Pear, Dark Chocolate and Cardamom Muffins. Recipes are by Kay Prestney and photography by Rebecca Lewis. Ceramics kindly supplied by Francesca Atkinson of Frankie’s Ceramics @frankieceramics.

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Tipple | Ginger & Maple Hot Toddy

Sweet, spicy and soothing, this cocktail also eases a sore throat and helps clear the sinuses. In fact it’s practically medicinal. Best enjoyed on a bracing walk by the sea

Makes 1 cup

3 slices of fresh ginger

1 ginger teabag

1 tsp maple syrup

Lemon slice

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

A shot of brandy or whisky (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a mug and top up with boiling water – use the cinnamon stick to stir it all together. If you plan to serve the hot toddy while out, make the ginger tea and add to a flask with the maple syrup and brandy or whisky, if using. To serve, pop the ginger, lemon slices, star anise and cinnamon sticks into each mug, pour over the ginger tea and enjoy.

This recipe is taken from our ‘gathering’ feature, which in our February issue is a bracing walk on the beach with hot drinks and snacks, followed by a make-ahead lunch at home. You’ll find all the recipes, including Granola Bars, White Bean Puree with Crunchy Topping, Mushroom Ragout, Gremolata and Jam Crumble Tart from page 6. The recipes are by Louise Gorrod and the photography by Emma Croman.

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Tipple | Fig Leaf Horchata

Horchata, a traditional Mexican drink, is a blend of rice milk, cinnamon and sugar that makes a comforting sip, whether you drink it warm or cold. It’s an excellent tipple for sipping around the bonfire, too. Add toasted marshmallows if you don’t scoff them straight off the stick...

Serves 8

3 ltr almond milk (we used Rude Health almond milk)
5 cinnamon sticks 
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 fig leaves (optional, but they add a deliciously unique flavour)
45ml amaretto shot per person (optional)
Toasted marshmallows (optional)

1 Add the almond milk, cinnamon sticks, maple syrup and fig leaves to a large fireproof pan. There’s a nip in the air, so all the more reason to pop an extra marshmallow in your horchata… or perhaps a splash of amaretto?

2 Gently warm through over a low heat. You want to heat the ingredients slowly so that they infuse their flavour into the milk without evaporating too much of the liquid away. Stir occasionally to ensure the milk doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

3 Taste and check the sweetness, if you have a sweet tooth, add a little more maple syrup.

4 Once ready, leave to cool, then place in the fridge until needed. When ready, reheat gently. To serve, ladle the liquid into your favourite mug, add a shot of amaretto if desired, and add a toasted marshmallow or two.

Cook’s note: We've used Rude Health here because the base of their milks is organic rice milk, making this a much speedier version of the classic, where you have to soak rice in water overnight before blending it.

This recipe is from our November ‘Gathering’ feature, Dark and Chilli Nights, a menu for a Mexican(ish) get together around a fire. The menu also includes Chipotle Chill Pork Shoulder Tacos, Lime Pickled Onions, Pickled Slaw, Pulled Wild Mushroom Chipotle Tacos, Smoky Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Avocado, Basil & Jalapeno Cream, Jalapeno Salsa Verde, Chipotle Crumb and Churros with Chocolate Orange Dipping Sauce. The recipes are by Amy Moore and the photography by Jonathan Cherry.

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Tipple | Hot Cranberry Toddy

Boozy or not, this hot cocktail looks almost too pretty to drink and is a warming, wintry way to welcome guests or just to enjoy a quiet, dark November night at home. It’s a good way to warm up after you’ve been watching the fireworks, too.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 satsumas, peeled and segmented
5cm of fresh ginger root
8 x star anise
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp juniper berries
4 x 10cm cinnamon sticks
1ltr unsweetened cranberry juice
2 tbsp honey
2 shots of whisky (optional)
for the topping:
2 tbsp unrefined golden sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon

To make

1 Place all the ingredients (except for the topping ingredients) into a large pan over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, while stirring, for 10 mins.

2 Meanwhile, mix the topping ingredients in a dish. Slightly dampen the top of each glass with a little water, then dip into the sugar mix.

3 Strain the hot spiced cranberry juice through a sieve into each glass, then add two star anise, a cinnamon stick and a few satsuma segments to each glass to garnish.

4 Add half a shot of whisky to each, if desired, and serve while still warm.

This Hot Cranberry Toddy is just one of the recipes from our November Gathering Pages, which we’ve called ‘Craft-A-Peel’. It’s a menu of snacks and finger foods to fuel you and a few friends while you make decorations for winter together. It also includes recipes for Pomegranate and Goat’s Cheese Bites, French Chestnut Soup, Spiced Flatbreads, Stollen Traybake and a Turmeric Hot Tipple. The recipes and styling are by Kay Prestney and the photography is by Rebecca Lewis.

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