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Ultimate Hot Cocoa
Leave Swiss Miss to the kids. This homemade classic satisfies more sophisticated palettes. Makes 6 servings
1 cup dry milk powder
½ cup powdered sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. ancho chile powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
At home:Sift all ingredients together. Store in a zip-top bag. (This recipe makes a great base for add-ins like peanut butter, spices, or schnapps.)
In camp: Stir 5 Tbsp. of hot cocoa mix into / cup of boiling water and serve.
Weight* 1 oz.
Calories 150
Turmeric Tea
Cozy up with this superfood-infused beverage—turmeric is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Makes 2-3 servings
1 Tbsp. ground turmeric
¼ cup dry milk powder
Pinch ground cardamom
Pinch cayenne
Pinch black pepper
1 tsp. honey
At home: Sift turmeric with milk powder and spices and store in a zip-top bag. Pack honey in a separate container.
In camp: Mix all ingredients with 2 cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved, adding more honey to taste. Pour into separate mugs and serve.
Weight 1 oz.
Calories 105
Homemade Chai Tea
Forgo the tea bags and concoct your own blend—you can adjust spice ratios to suit your taste. Makes 12 servings
3 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1 Tbsp. black pepper
20 whole cloves
10 cardamom pods
1 Tbsp. dried lemongrass
1 tsp. ground ginger
6 Tbsp. black tea leaves
At home: Grind all ingredients except tea leaves together in a spice grinder until they are coarsely ground. Or, combine in a plastic bag, cover with a dish towel, and crush with a mallet or heavy object. Add tea leaves to spice mix and store in a zip-top bag. Pack a loose leaf tea infuser.
In camp: Using infuser, steep 1 Tbsp. of tea in 6 to 8 ounces of boiling water and serve.
Weight 0.1 oz.
Calories 2
Chai-Spiced Hot Toddy
Savory spices take this throat-soothing cocktail to an even higher comfort level. Makes 2 servings
2 chai tea bags, or 2 Tbsp. of Homemade Chai Tea mix
2 Tbsp. honey
1 lemon
3 oz. bourbon
2 cinnamon sticks (optional, for garnish)
At home: Pack all ingredients separately. Pack loose leaf tea infuser if using your own mix.
In camp: Bring 1/ cups water to a boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags (or homemade tea mix in loose leaf infuser), cover, and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags or infuser. Stir in honey, juice from the lemon, and bourbon. Serve with cinnamon sticks and extra honey to taste.
Weight 3.5 oz.
Calories 170