It doesn’t rain here in San Diego very often. I wish it would rain more.
But, yesterday, we had the delight of a rainy day. Shiny pavement, slick with rain. Beautiful to look at, hard to drive on. I saw more than a few fish tailed trucks that took off too fast. It reminded me to slow down. And I did.
When I picked up the kiddos from their half day, they hopped in the car with damp hair and jackets, and chilled toes, fingers and cheeks. I was excited to head home with them and cozy up for the rest of the day. We were all looking forward to snuggles, big steaming bowls of beef stew (mostly primal), comfy, thick blankets, The Cosby Show, and hot cocoa. One of our favorite ways to spend our Friday nights.
I have entered the Paleo/Primal world of eating after much research, and experience with how my body works best. I have been slowly edging my family along for the journey. After the Halloween madness, which I did let my kids participate in candy wise, I wanted a treat that wouldn’t harm their bodies further. And thus, we made Primal (Peppermint) Hot Cocoa.
Here’s the list of ingredients you will need. Missing in the picture is himilayan pink salt.
Start with 2 cups of your choice of milk alternative. I had almond milk on hand, but coconut milk would be lovely in this recipe. I was out of my supply. Raw Milk could be used here too, just be careful when heating to not heat up past skin temperature. You want to keep all that good raw-ness alive. 🙂
Gently heat the milk, and add in 4 Tbsp. of pure maple syrup, 2 heaping Tbsp. dark unsweetened cocoa powder. Whisk until combined. Optional.. for a creamier cocoa, add in 2-3 Tbsp. organic heavy cream. If dairy isn’t your thing, leave it out. 🙂 Turn off the heat, and add a pinch of salt (this makes the chocolate taste a bit more cocoa-y, and cuts the sweetness a tad) and a dash of pure vanilla. If you want it peppermint-y, add in a dash of peppermint oil.
This smelled like Christmas in a cup. Creamy peppermint-y sipping chocolate. Yum. It made two servings and my littles happily slurped it down, instead of asking for more Halloween candy. I call that a win.
Go make some. 🙂
Happy Hot Cocoa-ing!! 🙂
