Warm and Toasty

While I'm on a beverage spree, here are some options best served warm.

Apricot Lemon Warmer
"Delicious!"

3 cups apricot nectar (2-12 oz cans)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cinnamon sticks
3 Tbsp sugar (or to taste)

Stir together juices and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan and heat until it just comes to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Serve warm.

4 Servings

Hot Vanilla
"Creamy and comforting."

1 3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 ground vanilla bean
1 1/2 tsp sugar
ground cinnamon

In a saucepan, combine the ingredients and warm over low heat. When small bubbles appear around the sides of the pan, remove it from the heat and let the mixture sit at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes. Place pan back on the stove and rewarm, whisking it briefly to redistribute the skin the forms on the milk's surface.

Remove the vanilla bean half, scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife, and return the seeds to the milk. Pour the vanilla milk into 2 8-oz mugs and sprinkle with cinnamon. Drink hot.

2 Servings

Note: I didn't have time for it to steep with the vanilla, so I put a little vanilla syrup in as well.