Yesterday afternoon a cold front pushed through most of Louisiana and behind that front, the winds picked up and the temperatures fell. Now, I don't mind a little bit of cool invading Louisiana this time of year. Heck, even along and south of I-10, we can appreciate a break from the normal heat and humidity.

weather.gov/lch
weather.gov/lch
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The above graphic from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Lake Charles demonstrates just how cool it's going to be tonight. And there might be a bit of a breeze around the fire pit outside too.

But with those cool November breezes come feelings of nostalgia. I remember many cold nights during this holiday time of year when my family would sit outside on our patio around a fire pit and sip delicious homemade hot chocolate. Just the smell of chocolate and marshmallows can take me back to a time when Computers Wore Tennis Shoes (that was an actual movie from my childhood) and weren't always in the palm of your hand.

Kobby Mendez via Unsplash.com
Kobby Mendez via Unsplash.com
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Since we are expecting some of the coldest temperatures of the fall season this weekend in South Louisiana and with Thanksgiving still residing as leftovers in our refrigerators, now would be a perfect time to reconnect with one of my favorite childhood beverages. So, I turned to the Internet.

That's where I found the Southern Flair Blog and their unique recipe for Cajun Spiked Hot Chocolate. Okay, just from the name of this beverage you know it's going to be good. If it's Cajun, there will be a little bit "zizz" in every sip. If it's spiked chances are Grandma won't be the only one needing a walker at the end of the night. And if it's hot and chocolate it's what I am craving.

Giancarlo Duarte via Unsplash.com
Giancarlo Duarte via Unsplash.com
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According to the South Flair recipe, here's what you'll need.

3-Cups of whole milk, a half teaspoon of cinnamon, 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate chopped into tiny bits, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and two ounces of bourbon.

Here's how you combine those ingredients.

1. Mix the milk and cinnamon in a saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes.

2. Then add the chocolate, the sugar, the nutmeg, the cayenne, and the salt to the mixture. You'll want to whisk that stuff all together until the chocolate pieces have melted.

3. Add the bourbon

4. Pour into your favorite holiday mugs and top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

Alsia Anton via Unsplash.com
Alsia Anton via Unsplash.com
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That's about as easy as it gets and if you don't care for the bourbon you can just leave it out. There is something quite magical, at least to my taste buds, about the combination of cayenne and chocolate. There must be some chemical companionship that just makes those two flavors taste incredibly good together.

Obviously, this isn't the only recipe that you can find for Cajun Hot Chocolate online. The others that I scoped out feature many of the same ingredients and the same cooking techniques. Some of the recipes include alcohol and many others do not. But if you do choose to add the booze, please remember that you might want to make two different batches, especially if there are little ones that will be consuming the steamy beverages too.

And since we're on the subject of nostalgia and the holiday season is here, tell me if you remember shopping at any of these great stores.

Do You Remember These 12 Stores?

Gallery Credit: Bruce Mikells

 

 

 

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