No, this isn't going to be a posting on a formerly successful pop group, whose most famous hit was probably 'You Sexy Thing', part of the Full Monty soundtrack... But rather, it's just a few words on one of our survival techniques in college.
While most people drink tea or coffee in copious quantities during the day, evening times seem to be reserved for the consumption of hot chocolate. In fact, this evening, I've had two mugs - one between dinner and Compline, and one after Compline!
Given our tendency for hot chocolate, there's a certain rivalry about who makes the best, and which brands are the best. My favourite has to be Galaxy, although the Areo one I got last night on the ground floor was quite good. But then everyone has their own way of customising them... Maltesers floating and melting; or marshmallows; or both!
So the quest is on... have you any other things to add to hot chocolate? Or do you know of a better tasting brand? Answers in a comment!
A bunch of theology students sitting around comparing mugs of steaming hot chocolate doesn't bode too well for the future of the Anglican Church in Ireland, in my opinion!
ReplyDeleteBut, that was a side note! It just crossed my mind and appeared on the screen, so I'll just leave it there!
Hot Chocolate...let me count the ways I love it....ahhhhhhhhh....I've just made myself a mug cos I'm cold through to my bones and I know no better way to warm up - yes, that's what I'm saying, skip dinner, forget exercising, just drink hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire till you're warm. I've no fire going yet tonight, but I'm too cold to go out and get wood.
And, back to the hot chocolate...I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to these things so I do tend to turn up my nose slightly at anything other than Cadburys! But, because those handy little Highlights sachets are wonderfully easy gifts to mail to a missionary overseas, I have quite a lot of them in various flavours. I've also been sent Options instant hot chocolate, which I have greatly enjoyed, particularly when added to a mug of Cadburys...so the formula is: one sachet of Cadburys Highlights PLUS one sachet of Options. The problem with that habit is that now one sachet of Highlights is not enough, so when I run out of Options, I have to use two sachets of Highlights in one mug, or else add a couple of spoons from the tin of non-instant powder. (I prefer to make instant hot chocolate here, because the UHT milk has a distinctive taste, which spoils the regular Cadburys, which is made with milk rather than water. The positive side of that is that there are fewer calories in a mug of hot water than in a mug of hot milk!)
Again, I diverge...my favourite Options flavour is the mint, but I usually don't have any in stock. So, the next best thing is to add just a couple of drops of peppermint flavouring to a mug of regular hot chocolate. Mmmm...it's good!
The other addition I'm quite partial to is a little dash of Baileys (yes, I know it sounds weird, but I love it), or even a little rum or brandy, if it happens to be in the house. The latter I learned from some other missionary friends who taught our favourite local restaurant how to make a "Bambi Special". A regular "Bambi" is the name for hot chocolate here. So, a "Bambi Special" has an extra ingredient, namely the local home-brewed grape brandy (raki)...it certainly warms the bones on a winter's evening.
I'm not fussed about having things floating in my chocolate. Sometimes I add marshmallows, but the Maltesers idea intrigues me...
...if only we could buy them in Peja! No excuses now Gary!
Fair trade hot chocolate is yummy! you should all try it sometime! (without maltesers though! im not a fan of them floating about in chocolate) Try it alongside Fair Trade chocolate cookies! AND the money goes to a good cause, you couldnt ask for anything better than that! :)
ReplyDeleteYou can't buy that in Peja either :(
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