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Cold weather begs for hot chocolate drinks

Lorie Hutson Food editor

Hot chocolate drinks that can scare away even the most frightful weather are always welcome this time of year. Mizuna restaurant in downtown Spokane and the Dairy Farmers of Washington teamed up to offer recipes for both kids and adults.

For the grown-ups, use liqueur to spike your chocolate milk into a tasty holiday spirit. Simply warm each drink gently until hot, but do not boil. Top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings or other garnishes of your choice. Each yields a single drink (for a nonalcoholic drink, substitute coffee-flavoring syrups for the liqueur).

Here are a few ideas:

Raspberry Truffle: 7 ounces milk, 3/4 ounce chocolate syrup, 1 ounce Chambord.

Holiday Hazelnut: 7 ounces milk, 1 ounce chocolate syrup, 1 1/2 ounces Frangelico.

Exotic Vanilla: 7 ounces milk, 1 ounce chocolate syrup, 1 ounce Tuaca liqueur.

Butterscotch Toffee: 7 ounces milk, ¾ ounce chocolate syrup, 1 1/2 ounces Butterscotch Schnapps.

Here are some hot chocolate recipes suitable for the whole family:

Easy Hot Chocolate

2 cups milk

1 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Place the milk and chopped chocolate (you can also add sugar to taste, if desired) in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk periodically until the mixture is steaming hot (just before it boils). Remove from heat and serve. If more foam is desired, use a hand-held blender to whip up the hot chocolate.

Yield: 2 cups

Approximate nutrition per cup: 223 calories, 11 grams fat (7 grams saturated, 42 percent fat calories), 9 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate, 18 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 124 milligrams sodium.

Laura Bush’s White House Hot Chocolate

From whitehouse.gov

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

6 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups milk

2 1/2 cups light cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or more)

Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Whipped cream

Orange zest

Mix cocoa, sugar and salt.

Add milk. Heat to dissolve.

Add light cream, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat to just under boiling.

Mix very well and pour into warm mugs.

Top with whipped cream, cocoa powder, and fine orange zest.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 8: 252 calories, 19 grams fat (12 grams saturated, 64 percent fat calories), 6 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 63 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 89 milligrams sodium.