Vegan mexican hot chocolate and coconut whipped cream

The weather today in Perth has been appalling. It's been very stormy today. Heavy rains, strong winds, thunder and lightning; and unfortunately for all us here in Perth, it's forecast to be like this for the next few days. 

Even though I don't too enthused about the weather, I actually really love winter. 

One of the best things I love about the cold is that there are so many wonderful things out there to keep you warm. I love warm beds, fluffy slippers, hot drinks, cuddles, heaters etc etc. 

Due to the cold weather today, I thought it totally appropriate to brew up a nice hot drink to keep me warm. I did some googling and found a recipe for vegan Mexican hot chocolate and coconut whipped cream. Yes, it probably is as fatty as it sounds. 

Mexican hot chocolate is different from your ordinary hot chocolate in that cayenne pepper is added (find some health benefits of cayenne here). Have you heard of chilli chocolate ice cream? Well I think that has cayenne peppers added to it as well. You may think it totally gross to mix chocolate and chilli, but I don't think it's all that bad, and I guess it just comes down to personal taste preference.

I found this hot chocolate particularly yummy. It was very creamy and after the drink had cooled down, the heat from the cayenne spice still warms up your throat. It's different, I'll give you that much, but if you're feeling daring, I say go for it! 

The coconut whipped cream made it taste so  much better too. So if you're sweet tooth is crying out then make sure you serve this up with a nice dollop of the whipped cream. 

If you're somewhere in the world where it's drawing nearer to summer and it's hot, then maybe just bookmark this post and save it for winter :)

Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate 

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 cups non-dairy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
3 heaping Tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder, or more for intense chocolate flavor
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp each nutmeg and cayenne
pinch salt (optional)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring milk to a low simmer over medium heat.
2. Add cocoa powder, sugar, salt, vanilla and spices and whisk vigorously to combine.
3. Serve warm with coconut (or regular) whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup or dust with cocoa powder.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 mugs; per mug: Calories: 388 Fat: 30 g Saturated fat: 26 g Carbohydrates: 31 g Sugar: 24 g Sodium: 95 mg Fiber: 6 g Protein: 5 g

Coconut Whipped Cream

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ½ can full fat coconut milk (I used a can of coconut cream. You'll still need to chill it and scoop out the top layer)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (I used CSR LoGiCane™ Low GI Soft Icing Mixture. It's a slightly healthier option)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Place your coconut milk in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Upon removal, be careful NOT to shake the can as you want the cream to remain separated from the liquid.
2. Open the can and scoop the top layer of cream into a chilled mixing bowl. Whip on medium-high until soft peaks form. (Add a dash of the remaining coconut liquid if it’s too thick.)
3. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whip again to combine. Taste and adjust flavor/sweetness accordingly. Serve with hot cocoa and reserve the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for later use. Should keep for several days.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 4 servings; per serving: Calories: 167 Fat: 14 g Saturated fat: 12 g Carbohydrates: 10 g Sugar: 9 g Fiber: 1.3 g Protein: 1.4 g