With 40 mph winds bringing outside temperatures close to negative territory, a blood warmer is what one needs.
This recipe from Adventures with Chocolate (Kyle Books, 2011) by London chocolatier Paul A. Young does the trick.
Mulled-wine hot chocolate
It was inevitable that at some point I would come up with this recipe as I love both mulled wine and hot
chocolate. A warming, indulgent and very boozy drink, it is definitely one for adults only.
2 cups organic sugar
2 cups alkalized cocoa powder
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise
8 cloves
18 ounces 67% dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic, broken into pieces
2 clementines or satsumas, skin left on, halved
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 x 750ml bottle of fruity red wine, such as Merlot
Put 13/4 cups water, the sugar, the cocoa powder and all the spices in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and whisk well until the chocolate is fully incorporated. Add the clementines and rosemary and infuse for 10 minutes. Add the red wine and warm
through gently.
Serve warm rather than hot.
(* Recipe from Adventures with Chocolate by Paul A.Young – published by Kyle Books, 2011- all rights reserved, reproduced by permission of Kyle Books)