Drinks - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with drinks, including Iced Vanilla Chai Tea Latte and Slow-Cooker Hot Chocolate. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN PIE MILKSHAKE

This recipe is from Sarah Copeland in The New York Times cooking section, and posted in the Times on October 30, 2020. Sarah wrote, "As any true pumpkin lover can attest, there's more than one way to get your pie fix, and I milkshake just might be the most winning substitute: It's creamy and has the same shipped-cream topper. Add the spices you most like in your pie - go heavier on the ginger if that's your thing, or load up on cinnamon - and adjust the sweetness to your crowd's tastes. Even if you don't drink whiskey, there's a time and a place for bourbon, and this is it. Add a spash or two for the adults; they'll thank you."

Note: If you're like me, I don't have whiskey around the house, so I would opt for making this without it - especially since it is optional.

Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 milkshakes (about 4 1/2 cups)

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019654-pumpkin-pie-milkshake.

Ingredients

3/4 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 (28-ounce) container premium vanilla ice cream

1/3 cup milk, plus more as needed

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

5 large ice cubes (about 1 cup)

2 to 4 tablespoons bourbon (optional)

Caramel sauce, for drizzling (optional)

Preparation

Whip the cream in a medium bowl until it just holds soft peaks (whip in a chilled bowl for faster results). Place the whipped cream and four glasses in the refrigerator to chill. Stir together 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Scoop the ice bream into a blender and pour 1/3 cup milk over the top. Add pumpkin, maple syrup, ginger, remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and ice in a blender and pulse to combine (use a spoon to stir the ingredients between pulses, if needed). Add a few more tablespoons of milk, if desired, depending on how thick you like your milkshakes, and blend until smooth. (It may seem think at first, but once poured, it will melt fairly quickly.) Pulse in the bourbon, if using, and divided among the four chillded glasses.

Spoon the whipped cream over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Drizzle with Caramel sauce, if desired.

STRAWBERRY ORANGE SMOOTHIE

This is from American Heart Association, and begins, "This fruit-filled, four-ingredient smoothie makes for a quick and easy satisfying snack, dessert, or breakfast. Frozen berries give it a frothy texture."

Makes 2 servings; Serving Size: 1 cup

To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/strawberry-orange-smoothie.

Ingredients

10 frozen, unsweetened strawberries

1 cup fat-free, plain yogurt

1/2 cup 100% orange juice

1/2 teaspoon stevia sweetener

OR

1 stevia sweetener packet

Directions

In a food processor or blender, process all the ingredients until smooth.

RASPBERRY BASIL ICED TEA

This is from American Heart Association, and begins, "Refresh with this simple and deliciously fruity tea."

This can be viewed at https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/raspberry-basil-iced-tea.

Ingredients

8 cups unsweetened decaffeinated iced tea

2 cups raspberries (washed)

8 fresh basil leaves (washed)

no-calorie sweetener (granulated, 6 packets)

Directions

In a 2-quart pitcher, combine tea, raspberries, basil and no-calorie sweetener. Gently stir and refrigerate overnight.

Add ice to individual glass and pour iced tea in each through a strainer to remove bits of herbs and fruit. Stir and enjoy.

ICED VANILLA CHAI TEA LATTE

This is from Weight Watchers, and begins, "Oftentimes, when you get chai tea or a chai latte at a coffee shop, it is cloyingly sweet. This version goes easy on the sugar (or in this case, honey) while still providing enough sweetness to taste great. If you prefer a vegan version, swap out the honey in favor of agave nectar, maple syrup, or brown sugar. We steep a concentrated tea mixture using 2 tea bags for 1 serving so that the flavor doesn’t get diluted with the almond milk; look for a decaffeinated option if that would be too much caffeine for you."

Prep Time: 4 minutes; Cook Time: 1 minute; Total Time: 10 minutes; Serves: 1; Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1/2 cup water

2 tea bags, chai-variety

1 tsp honey

3/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, microwave water on High until very hot, about 1 minute. Add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Add honey to hot tea, stirring until it dissolves. Stir in almond milk and vanilla. Pour into a tall ice-filled glass.

Serving size: 1 1/4 cups (without ice)

SLOW-COOKER HOT CHOCOLATE

This comes from the Food Network, and begins, "Whip up a big batch of perfect hot chocolate for your favorite friends with this effortless slow-cooker recipe. We used semisweet chocolate for its richness and balanced sweetness. Keep the setting on warm while serving and set up the various toppings for the most festive make-your-own hot chocolate bar!"

Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes; Yield: 8 to 12 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/slow-cooker-hot-chocolate-9429283.

Ingredients

6 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Kosher salt

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (see Cook's Note)

Mini marshmallows, for topping

Whipped cream, for topping

Crushed candy canes, for topping

Salted caramel sauce, for topping

Directions

Special equipment: a 6-quart slow cooker

Add the milk, cream, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk until combined and the cocoa is dissolved. Stir in the chopped chocolate.

Cover and cook on low, whisking every 30 minutes, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is hot, about 2 hours 30 minutes.

Ladle into mugs and top as desired with either some marshmallows or whipped cream sprinkled with crushed candy canes, or drizzled with caramel sauce.

Cook’s Note

We like to use chocolate bars for this, but you can substitute chocolate chips if you prefer.

SWEET TEA

This some from Leona Marcena Clay Johnson, and is adapted by Vallery Lomas in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Vallery wrote, "This sweet tea toes the line between just right and puckery sweet. The formula reflects the way my grandmother Leona Johnson made sweet tea: strong tea, lots of lemon juice and even more sugar. Start by adding half a cup of sugar to the batch, then add up to 4 more tablespoons to your preference. By making it extra potent, tart and sweet, this brew still tastes good even after the ice starts to melt."

Yield: About 8 cups; Time: 15 minutes, plus cooling

This was featured in "Sweet Tea From a Grandmother’s Kettle to Your Table", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022296-sweet-tea.

Ingredients

8 black tea bags, preferably Lipton

1/2 cup granulated sugar, preferably pure cane, plus more to taste

6 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

Ice cubes, for chilling and serving

Lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

In a tea kettle or medium saucepan, heat 4 cups water until boiling. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes. Gently squeeze the bags to release their concentrated tea, then discard the bags. Transfer the tea to a pitcher.

Stir 1/2 cup sugar into the hot tea until it has dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice. Add 4 cups water, then fill the pitcher with 2 cups ice.

Taste the tea to determine if you’d like to add up to 4 tablespoons more sugar. If adding sugar, stir until it dissolves.

Cover and refrigerate until the sweet tea is chilled throughout or up to 2 days. Serve in a large glass filled with ice, and garnish with a lemon slice if you’d like.