Drinks

While we all need to eat, we also need Drinks. Here are six yummy drink recipes to help you through the day, including an Orange Julius and Watermelon Ginger Beer. Enjoy!

LONDON FOG

This is from Yolanda Gutierrez at AllRecipes. For this yummy (and interesting) recipe, Yolanda wrote, "London fog is a creamy, frothy Earl Grey tea latte with a hint of vanilla. Sprinkle lavender over the top, if you like."

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Servings: 1

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/london-fog-recipe-11729062.

Ingredients

3/4 cup water

1 Earl Grey teabag

3/4 cup milk

3/4 tablespoon vanilla syrup, such as Torani®

1 teaspoon lavender (optional)

Directions

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bag; steep for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk in a microwave-safe cup until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla syrup. Froth milk with a frother or immersion blender until milk is foamy.

Pour tea into a cup; carefully pour foamy milk over the top. Sprinkle lavender over foam.

Cook’s Note

I froth milk 1/4 cup at a time, pouring over tea 3 times.

PEACH TEA

This is from Vallery Lomas at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Vallery wrote, "Sweetened with peaches, freshly puréed or from store-bought juice, this beverage tastes extra refreshing in warm weather. The fruit complements strongly brewed tea, and a little lemon juice further accentuates the peach flavor and helps balance the natural sweetness, which you can bolster with sugar if you’d like."

Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: About 6 cups

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022399-peach-tea. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

8 black tea bags, preferably Lipton

2 pounds ripe peaches (6 to 8), peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped, or 2 cups peach juice (see Tip)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed

1 cup ice, plus more for serving

Granulated sugar, if needed

Fresh peach slices, for serving

Preparation

In a tea kettle or medium saucepan over high heat, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes.

While the tea steeps, purée the peaches, if using fresh fruit. Pulse in a food processor or blender until very smooth. You should have 2 cups.

Gently squeeze the concentrated tea from the bags and discard the bags. If using puréed peaches, pour the tea into the blender, add the lemon juice and purée until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher. If using peach juice, transfer the tea to a pitcher, and stir in the peach juice and lemon juice.

Add the ice to the pitcher, then taste. If it’s too sweet, add more lemon juice, a couple of teaspoons at a time. If it isn’t sweet enough, stir in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dissolved. Refrigerate until the tea is chilled throughout. Serve in a large glass filled with ice and garnished with peach slices.

Tip

Be sure to use peach juice that is 100 percent juice and has no added sugar, such as Ceres brand.

PUMPKIN CREAM COLD FOAM

This is from Diana Moutsopoulos at AllRecipes, and begins, "Wondering how to make pumpkin cold foam at home? Pumpkin cream cold foam is a fall favorite at Starbucks, but it's so easy to make this copycat version in your own kitchen with a handful of simple ingredients!"

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes; Servings: 1

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/pumpkin-cream-cold-foam-recipe-11803001.

Ingredients

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk

2 tablespoons vanilla syrup

1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree

1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more for dusting

Directions

Place heavy cream, milk, vanilla syrup, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice in a small measuring cup or jug. Using a handheld milk frother, froth until thick and creamy, about 1 minute.

Pour desired amount of Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam over your iced drink of choice. Dust with additional pumpkin pie spice. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tip

If you don't have a handheld frother, you can use a blender, immersion blender, or mini food processor, but results can vary. If you want to make cold foam often at home, it's worth investing in a handheld frother for the best results.

WATERMELON GINGER BEER

This is from Nicole Taylor in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. The recipe begins, "The recipe for this batch drink, from Nicole Taylor’s book, “Watermelon and Red Birds,” includes the juice from a red-fleshed watermelon, ideally from one with seeds. (They can be hard to find; seedless melons work too.) If you own a juicer, proceed with the seeds and all and don’t worry about straining. Watermelon is over 90 percent water and is a nutrient-dense food. This drink can serve as an everyday accompaniment at breakfast, lunch, dinner or with a snack."

Total Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 drinks

This was featured in "Building a Juneteenth Menu for the 21st Century, One Recipe at a Time," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023219-watermelon-ginger-beer.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh fennel fronds (optional)

Filtered water

6 cups (1-inch) cubed red watermelon (from about 3 pounds watermelon)

2 cups ginger beer, homemade or store-bought (see Tip)

Preparation

Divide the fennel fronds, if using, between two ice cube trays. Fill with filtered water and freeze until solid, 4 to 8 hours.

Meanwhile, place the watermelon in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Scrape the sides of the blender or food processor using a rubber spatula and blend again.

Place a fine metal sieve over a large bowl and strain the pureed watermelon through the sieve. (This should yield 2 to 3 cups of juice). Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve; it will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To serve, fill four highball glasses or rocks glasses with the ice cubes. Stir the watermelon juice and add 1/2 cup to each glass. Top off with 1/2 cup ginger beer.

Tip

Unlike ginger ale, ginger beer is fermented. It’s nonalcoholic and has a spicy kick and tends to have more flavor than the soft drink. If buying ginger beer from the store, try finding the options from Barritt’s or Bruce Cost.

ORANGE JULIUS

This comes from Kelli Foster on TheKitchn. (No, that's not a typo. If you've never checked out TheKitchn, or its sibling site, Apartment Therapy, I highly recommend checking out both. Seriously.)

Anyway, this makes 2 servings. To view the recipe online (along with a little bit about the Orange Julius), go to https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-an-orange-julius-125422.

Ingredients

1 cup milk (whole, 2%, or skim)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitutes, check package for equivalence)

1 1/2 cups ice

Equipment

Blender

Glasses

Directions

Blend the milk and vanilla: Pour the milk and vanilla in a blender and pulse until combined.

Add the frozen concentrate: Add the frozen orange juice concentrate. Blend until fully combined with the milk.

Add the sugar and ice cubes: Blend until cubes are crushed and mixture has thickened. If things end up a little thick, just add a tablespoon of water and mix once again.

Pour and enjoy: Pour the drink into glasses. Serve with a straw and sip your way to blissful happiness.

Recipe Notes

I used 2% milk, though you can also use whole or skim milk with equally delicious results.

If you don't have orange juice concentrate (or aren't into buying it), I'd suggest freezing fresh orange juice into cubes (or in an 8x8-inch pan, then break it into chunks). Without that added iciness, the overall texture of the drink will change dramatically, and adding more ice in the end just doesn't work. (You end up with a more-soupy, less-flavored version of the original.)

SLOW-COOKER PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE

This comes from The Food Network, and starts off, “Made and served in the same pot, our slow-cooker cocoa is thickened and enriched with dark chocolate. Set up an add-ons bar beside the cooker (mini marshmallows, crushed candies and peppermint schnapps take cocoa to a whole new holiday level), then stick a ladle in the pot and let guests help themselves.” The recipe's last ingredient is peppermint schnapps, which is optional. I don't use it, and, if this is being served to children and/or people who normally don't drink – or if you're not sure – don't use it. I find that it really doesn't need it. Total Time: 2 hr 5 min; Prep: 5 min; Cook: 2 hr; Yield: 14 cups; Level: Easy

To read more, go to: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-peppermint-hot-chocolate.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

12 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

24 peppermint candies, crushed (about 1 cup), for serving

3 cups mini marshmallows, for serving

2 cups peppermint schnapps, optional, for serving

Directions

Whisk together the sugar and cocoa powder in a 6-quart slow cooker. Turn the cooker to high, and slowly whisk in the milk to prevent lumps from forming. Add the vanilla and salt, cover and cook for 1-1/2 hours. The sugar and cocoa powder should be completely dissolved.

Whisk in the chopped chocolate a little at a time until it is all incorporated. Replace the lid, and cook until thickened, 30 minutes more.

Turn the cooker to warm, and serve with small bowls of the peppermint candies and mini marshmallows and a small pitcher of schnapps, if using. For minty cocoa, let a few teaspoons of the peppermints melt in an 8-ounce cup or add 2 tablespoons of schnapps.