Coziness in a cup: favorite recipes and unusual autumn drinks

Autumn Classic

Perhaps let's start with a drink without which it is difficult to imagine autumn. Of course it's hot chocolate with marshmallows. Making it at home is not that difficult; you just need a few ingredients and a microwave.

Hot chocolate with marshmallows

Ingredients:

• Milk (250 ml)
• Dark chocolate (80 g), advanced gourmets can use cocoa beans
• Marshmallows

You can prepare hot chocolate either on the stove or in the microwave. In the first case, the chocolate must be chopped, for example, on a grater: the smaller the pieces, the faster the chocolate will melt. Start heating the milk in a saucepan, but do not bring it to a boil. The temperature of the milk should be about 70 degrees, in other words, lower the temperature as soon as you notice steam rising above the pan. Then add the chocolate and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. All that remains is to pour the aromatic drink into mugs and decorate it with marshmallows.

Hot chocolate preparedin the microwave is no worse (on the contrary, there will be fewer dirty dishes left after cooking). In this case, you don’t have to chop the chocolate. Place the tile pieces in a mug and add milk to it in a 1:1 ratio. Place in microwave for 10 seconds. Then take out the mug and mix the contents thoroughly - the melted chocolate quickly forms a homogeneous mass with the milk. Repeat the same two or three more times, adding small portions of milk. Just don’t bring the drink to a boil - this will cause it to lose its sweetness.

Sometimes cornstarch is added to hot chocolate to make the drink thicker. Those with a sweet tooth prefer to use honey, syrups or sugar in the recipe. Gourmets emphasize the tartness with a small (literally on the tip of a knife) pinch of salt. We recommend using cinnamon - well, where would we be without the main autumn spice!

Apple compote with cinnamon

Ingredients:

• Apples (300 g)
• Water (1 l)
• Cinnamon (2-3 sticks)
• Cloves (1/2 teaspoon)
• Sugar (to taste)

A drink that is also strongly associated with autumn is apple compote with cinnamon. So cozy and homely. It will take only 15-20 minutes to prepare.

First, wash the apples, remove the core and cut into pieces. Place sugar in a saucepan, add water and bring it to a boil. Place apples in a saucepan with water and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Then you can add cinnamon and cloves. Remove the pan from the heat and let the drink brew for another 5-10 minutes.

By the way, if you don’t want to use sugar, you can replace it with honey. Oranges can make this compote even more rich in taste. There should be slightly less citrus fruits than apples: in a ratio of approximately 1:3. Oranges must be washed, cut into slices and not peeled. They should be added to the water at the same time as apples.

Vitamin charge

Autumn, alas, is also the period of colds. And the body's resistance is increased by vitamin C, which is contained in lemon. Ginger root also contains it, as well as B vitamins, which are also involved in the formation of antibodies. It's time to strengthen your immune system with a tasty and, importantly, healthy drink.

Ginger tea with lemon

Ingredients:

• Ginger root (100 g)
• Lemon (1 piece)
• Honey (to taste)
• Water (1 l)
• Green tea (3 tablespoons)

First, you should prepare the ingredients: cut the lemon into slices, peel the ginger root and cut it into thin slices. Brew green tea with hot water and place ginger and lemon in the teapot. Let the drink brew for about 5 minutes, add honey.

You can avoid using green tea if you want a rich ginger-citrus taste. To do this, grate the ginger on a fine grater and add hot water along with lemon slices. Let the drink brew for about 5-7 minutes, and then strain the contents of the kettle. Add honey and enjoy the drink.

Sea buckthorn tea with orange

Ingredients:

• Sea buckthorn (300 g)
• Orange (2 pcs)
• Water (1 l)
• Honey (to taste)
• Cinnamon (to taste)

Another vitamin drink for a cheerful autumn is sea buckthorn tea with orange. Sea buckthorn, by the way, is also rich in vitamin C and contains a whole range of B vitamins. The berry strengthens the immune system and promotes skin regeneration. And it simply has a bright, rich taste.

We recommend enjoying it in combination with orange and cinnamon. Making this tea is also easy. It is necessary to mash the sea buckthorn (the berry can also be used frozen, just pour boiling water over it in advance). The orange should be peeled and grated. Cut the pulp itself into large slices.

Pour boiling water over sea buckthorn, orange zest and cinnamon. Let the drink brew for 5-7 minutes, add orange pulp and honey. Vitamin cocktail is ready!

Lingonberry and rosehip compote for children

Ingredients:

• Rose hips (4 tablespoons)
• Lingonberries (4 tablespoons)
• Water (2 glasses)

What vitamin drink is best to prepare for a child? We recommend giving preference to compote made from lingonberries, rose hips or raspberries. By the way, this is an excellent fortified drink during a cold - the berries help remove toxins from the body, and they are also more saturated with vitamin C. For example, 100 grams of orange contains only 60 milligrams of vitamin C, with each day of storage its amount decreases. Therefore, experts recommend preparing infusions of cranberries and lingonberries, as well as rose hips.

Preparing such a compote is quite simple. Even though children love sweeter drinks, you should not add sugar. The berries themselves have a sweet taste.

Chop the rose hips and lingonberries, then simply fill them with cold water, placing the pan on low heat. Bring the compote to a boil, cover with a lid and leave to simmer on the stove for about five more minutes. Before giving the drink to your child, strain it and cool it.

Don't be afraid to experiment by adding other baby-friendly ingredients, such as apples and dried fruit.

A fresh look at autumn

Smoothies and fresh juices in the fall? Why not. These drinks are rich in vitamins and beneficial microelements, and in cold weather they can be prepared without ice. They are also saturated with fats, which are necessary at all times of the year, especially in the autumn. Smoothies according to our recipes are suitable for the whole family.

Fresh carrot

Ingredients:

• Carrots (450 g)
• Cream (50 g)
• Sugar (to taste)

Preparing fresh carrots is quite simple, but for this you will need a juicer. The carrots must be washed and peeled, and cut into pieces. Just place it in a juicer, add cream to the resulting juice and stir. You can sweeten the drink with sugar or apricot syrup.

It is not recommended to store fresh carrots in the refrigerator for a long time - it should be consumed no later than 30 minutes after preparation. This is because beneficial substances and microelements will begin to be destroyed.

Chocolate smoothie with banana

Ingredients:

• Banana (2 pcs)
• Cocoa powder (2 tablespoons)
• Yoghurt (120 g)
• Milk (120 ml)
• Honey (to taste)

Place the bananas, cocoa powder and yogurt in a blender and blend the contents. This drink will be too thick, so it’s better to add milk. Just pour it into the blender bowl and blend all the ingredients again.

You can decorate the drink with coconut flakes - the flavor combination is somewhat reminiscent of a Bounty chocolate bar. Children will definitely be delighted with this.

Cranberry and Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

• Cranberry (100 g)
• Banana (2 pcs)
• Milk or yogurt (400 ml)
• sugar/honey (to taste)

Cranberry is perhaps the most autumnal berry. Its ripening period occurs in mid-September. It is at this moment that it acquires a sweetish-sour taste. The berry is rich in vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus - everything that is so necessary to maintain immunity during the off-season.

To prepare a tasty and healthy cranberry smoothie, you need to peel and cut a banana, place it in a blender along with berries and honey to taste. The ingredients must be whipped until smooth. Pour in the milk and blend the contents of the blender again. Instead of milk, you can use berry or natural yogurt, kefir or snowball. Serve the smoothie immediately after preparation. Enjoy the taste and be healthy!