Organic Ginger Hot Chocolate

My favourite cookies as a child were my paternal grandmother’s gingersnaps; which were dark with molasses and rich with Crisco. They instilled in me a love of ginger that’s only grown as I’ve aged, manifesting in my go-to meal (stir-fry, which always begins with frying ginger slices in olive oil), my favourite snack (grated ginger over pineapple), and my cocktail of choice (whisky ginger ale, of course). I’m not alone in my passion for ginger; the rhizome is said to be the most widely used condiment in the world, and an important ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine for over 4,000 years—the health benefits of gingerol compounds being the subject for many a wellness blog. Along with wasabi, the Japanese originally paired ginger with sushi to reduce instances of food-poisoning. It is, conceptually, the opposite of nausea. And for something so healthy, ginger lends itself awfully well to sweet preparations, marrying beautifully with the flavours of cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate, as in this recipe for warming winter cocoa recipe from organic chocolate producer Green & Black’s.

Ginger Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 tbsp Green & Black’s Organic Hot Chocolate
20g (6 pieces) Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate and Ginger, grated with a fine grater, plus extra for garnish
A pinch ground ginger
A pinch ground cinnamon
A few gratings of fresh nutmeg

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently, whisking to blend the ingredients. Be careful when adding the spices. It’s best to start with a tiny amount and adjust to taste.

There should be approximately equal amounts of ginger and cinnamon and just a few gratings of nutmeg.
Remove from the heat just before the liquid comes to the boil. Taste and adjust the spices, if necessary.

Pour into your favourite mug and optionally grate some Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate and Ginger on top to garnish (whipped cream or a marshmallow are acceptable, too).
Makes: 1 serving

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