Friday, November 26, 2010

Its Friday and what better way to spend a winter day... warm drinks and skating :)

Hello readers,

Today I have a special treat for you, yes thats right, a warm, yummy treat that you can make for your hike, skating, skiing, or any outdoor activity! Keep in mind however, that this treat is for adults only! Have you ever wanted that Bailey's and coffee or some sort of yummy winter drink, but wonder if the drink contains gluten? Well this blog post if dedicated to a few recipes for those cold winter nights. I am off to skate later today and figured what better way to stay warm than to make homemade hot chocolate (and seeing how its Friday afternoon, I should probably make the drink extra special).

Most alcoholic drinks, Bailey's for example, do contain gluten as the alcohol is distilled with grain. Some companies claim that the distillation process cleans out the gluten, but I know first hand that this is not the case (Grey Goose vodka is distilled with wheat and will make you sick!!!!!!)

So lets start by listing some common alcohols that are inherently gluten free:

1. Cider (double check on the companies website, but all the ones I have had so far are great)
2. Rum, as it is made with sugar
3. Vodka (as long as its potato based). Absolut, Sky, Smirnoff are 3 that are ok to drink
4. All wine, red and white
5. Coolers..... be weary of these as they can have additives, but most are just filled with sugar and should be fine.

Another thing to be careful when thinking about making drinks is the mix itself. We all know the list of do's and don'ts for gluten free ingredients, but one main one : citric acid, if it comes from outside of North America can contain gluten (so be aware of this when choosing products from abroad!)

Now on to the fun part! I looked up a few recipes but decided on a hot chocolate recipe. I am going to give you 3 options though, one for a buttered rum drink, a cider and rum drink and finally my hot chocolate concoction.

Hot Buttered Rum

- 1 small slice of butter (to make this vegan you can add vegan butter)
- 1 tsp brown sugar (or agave syrup)
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extra (add more or less depending on your taste)
- 2 oz dark rum
- hot water
- spices to taste (optional): cinnamon, nutmeg and/or allspice

The trick to this drink is to mix it well. Put the butter in the bottom of a large mug, add spices mix really well, add rum and boiling water! Enjoy

Spiked Rum Apple Cider

- dark rum of spiced rum (about 2 oz)
- Your favourite apple cider (non alcoholic, preferably homemade with only apples and spices)
- Spices if you want an extra kick: cinnamon and/or nutmeg
- Cinnamon stick to garnish

Warm cider on the stove in a large pot, mix in spices and pour into mugs, add 2 oz of rum to each much and garnish with cinnamon stick! Enjoy :)

Finally, here is my choice for today:

Creamy hot chocolate

- Milk, use 1% or you can substitute with almond milk or lactose free milk ( I find almond milk better than rice or hemp milk for this drink)
- cocoa powder
- sugar or agave syrup
- Frangelico (hazelnut liquor)

Warm the milk in a pot or the microwave (if you are in a rush), add cocoa powder until it is as chocolatey as you like it, then add the sugar in small increments. I like a rich tasting hot chocolate and therefore put a lot of cocoa powder and very little sugar. Add Frangelico (to taste) and garnish with chocolate shavings or whip cream if you want to make it extra special!

I really can't think of a better way to end the workweek!!

I hope you enjoy these gluten free drinks!

Until next time,

Your gluten free friend xo





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