Hot Chocolate With Ginger

PaulaG's Note:

This is a spicy ginger treat for those snowy winter evenings around the fireplace. Garnish with mini marshmallows and a light dusting of cocoa powder. The recipe is from Cooking Light Annual recipes 2002.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1⁄3; cup fresh ginger , chopped peeled
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 cups skim milk or 4 cups reduced-fat milk
• ½ cup chocolate syrup

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the first 3 ingredients and cook 5 minutes over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves and is golden; stirring frequently.
2. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
3. Stir in milk and syrup; cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a wire whisk. Heat to 180 degrees or until tiny bubbles form around edge of pan, stirring frequently.
4. Do not boil.
5. Strain the milk mixture through a sieve; discard solids.

Reviews

[Mia in Germany]

Wonderful combination! I love chocolate and ginger, and today I needed something to really warm me up - this was just perfect! Definitely a keeper!! Thanks for posting. Made for Comfort Cafe Snow Queen 2010.

[Baby Kato]

This hot chocolate was simply wonderful. I adore ginger and thought that this was just incredible a perfect blending of spice and chocolate. I used fresh ginger and 1% milk, the end result was a rich, creamy drink. This was a lovely warming, spicy hot chocolate with attitude. I served this with whipped cream and a slice of candied ginger. Thank you so much for sharing.

[ladypit]

I decided to try this and see if it could be done with crystalized ginger instead of fresh as I have a ton right now. It worked well. The only problem I had was that, after the sugar is carmelized a bit, the recipe says to cool it a bit. Just by taking it off the heat it got so hard it made it tough to continue for a while. I think next time I would want to just add the milk and syrup immediately. I used a dark chocolate syrup and mostly skim milk (but I was about 1/3 cup short so I filled it with fat free half and half). I topped it with some fat free cool-whip and I enjoyed it a lot. Dh thought it was a bit more gingery then he would like. So I think this is a lovely hot cocoa for those that love ginger. Original review was 1/6/06. Updated to add that I left it in the fridge because I had made more then I could drink at once. A few days later I went to get it out to microwave but decided to first try it cold. This makes a lovely grown up (very complex tasting) chocolate milk! Of course you still need to love ginger, but it was very good. Just another idea for it!