This Spiked Hot Chocolate Recipe Is Perfect for a Cozy New Year’s Eve
We’re setting sail for 2025, and no matter how it ends, I know how it will begin: cold. Hot drinks are what make the holidays cozy and lift your spirits, so let’s ring in the New Year with a boozy hot chocolate. This is not a typo. But don’t worry, this isn’t a particularly complicated cocktail recipe. This is dod tante – hot chocolate with a twist – and the best cocktail for a cozy New Year’s celebration.
Earlier this December I went on what may be the most Christmas trip ever to Copenhagen. Denmark, as you may already know, consistently outpaces much of the world in terms of happiness . They are also famous for their festive Christmas markets. As a fan of happiness and shiny things, I wanted to see what it was all about.
While I can’t speak to the larger factors of their country’s happiness, such as income, life expectancy, and community support, I have seen their holiday markets. You’ll be hard-pressed not to encounter at least one a day. Each district had its own mini-market, albeit not a big one, and I must say, it was very festive. Lights and evergreen garlands decorated the tiny pop-up stalls, selling brunkager (crispy gingerbread cookies), gløgg ( here’s the recipe I use ) and a drink I’d never seen before: død tante.
Død tante, which means “dead aunt” (the Internet has not helped explain the origin of the name), is usually prepared during these cold months in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. In other regions you may hear it called “lumumba”, most likely. after the assassination of Patrice Lumumba , the first prime minister of the independent Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Traditionally it’s made with rum, but to keep the options open for liquor variations, these days I’ve been calling it just spiked hot chocolate.
Lazy winter cocktail best
This sweet drink combines festive winter comfort and lazy hibernation. Honestly, it can’t be beat. As I mentioned, you simply add a shot of rum to your favorite homemade hot chocolate mix or powder pouch. At Christmas markets in Copenhagen, this drink is often topped with whipped cream. While this extra step reduces the laziness factor, whipped cream is never a bad idea, so why deny yourself?
Like all cocktails, there are variations. If you don’t like rum, use whiskey, brandy, bourbon or scotch. Personally, I recommend Goslings Bermuda Black Rum. The particularly heady aroma of vanilla in this rum goes well with hot chocolate and whipped cream. In fact, they are so complementary that they are difficult to detect. I don’t say this often, but please measure in ounces so it doesn’t sneak up on you at your New Year’s Eve party.
Again, you can add any hot chocolate you like. I add rum to my easy drinking chocolate recipe , which is creamy, deeply chocolatey, and comes together on the stovetop in just a few minutes.
Død Tante spiked drinking chocolate recipe
Ingredients:
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1 cup cold liquid (water, milk, or a mixture of both), divided
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1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
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⅓ cup (2 ounces) good quality chocolate chips (such as 46% Guittard chips )
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Pinch of salt
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1 tablespoon sugar (optional if the chocolate is very bitter)
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1-2 ounces Goslings Bermuda Black Rum
1. Separate the cold liquid. Place three-quarters cup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and one-quarter in a small bowl with cornstarch. While the pan is heating, stir the cornstarch and liquid until completely dissolved.
2. Once the milk starts to bubble strongly around the edges, add the cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly until it thickens, about 10 to 20 seconds. Turn off the heat and add salt and chocolate chips. Let the mixture sit for one minute until the chocolate softens. Beat until smooth. Try drinking chocolate. Add sugar if desired and stir in rum. Enjoy immediately.