Fight off the winter chill in the most decadent way with hot drinking chocolate and fine brandy cocktails.
Fine potstill brandy and quality, dark chocolate always makes a great pairing.
Cocktail specialist Owen O’ Reilly created chocolate and brandy cocktails – or as he likes to call them, hot brandy choctails.
This recipe can be made at home and promises the most decadent accompaniment to help you make the most of this winter weather.
Van Ryn's Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Pumkin purée
1 butternut
4 tbsp NOMU Cook’s Collection Holiday Baking Spice
300 ml water
200 g sugar
Cocktail
50 ml award-winning Van Ryn’s 10-Year-Old Vintage Brandy, per serving
35 ml pumpkin purée, per serving
2 tsp NOMU Skinny Hot Chocolate per serving
Boiling water, to top up
To Serve
250 ml whipping cream, whipped
1 pump NOMU Vanilla Paste
Pumpkin purée, to taste
Method
Pumpkin Puree
Preheat oven to 200°. Cut pumpkin into 4, remove seeds, and place onto a baking tray.
Sprinkle with 2 tbsp NOMU Cook’s Collection Holiday Baking Spice, and bake for an hour, or until the pumpkin is soft to the touch. Set aside – once cool, remove the pumpkin skin.
While cooling, add the water, sugar and remaining 2 tbsp NOMU Cook’s Collection Holiday Baking Spice to a small pot, and bring to a rolling boil.
Simmer while stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
Add baked pumpkin pieces to a blender or food processor with the spiced syrup. Blend until smooth and then pour through a fine strainer.
Add a little water if the purée is too thick. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Cocktail
Pour the Van Ryn’s 10 Year Old Vintage Brandy and pumpkin purée into your choice of mug or glass. Add NOMU Skinny Hot Chocolate and stir into a paste.
Add boiling water, leaving room for cream, and stir briskly.
To serve
Whip the cream to soft peaks and stir through the NOMU Vanilla Paste. Gently spoon the cream into the glasses, and drizzle with the remaining pumpkin purée.