serves 8
The Ingredients
4 cups low-fat milk
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
whipped cream as garnish (optional)
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Combine all the milks and the cocoa powder. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 1 to 2. Serve hot with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. If serving guests, leave the crock lid off with the pot on low. Your drink will not stay hot enough on warm with the lid off.
The Verdict
Drinking this is like taking a mini vacation without the expense or jet lag.
serves 8 to 10
The Ingredients
2 quarts apple juice
2 quarts pineapple juice (or thereabouts: a can holds 1 quart, 14 ounces)
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 (6-ounce) box lime Jell-O
5 to 6 whole star anise (see Note)
orange sherbet for serving
Note: I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase star anise if you don’t already have it in the house. It looks neat floating in the pot (like little spiders) and provides a touch of licorice taste, but not enough to justify the expense. If you really want a tad of licorice flavor, throw in a few licorice jelly beans and call it a day.
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the juices and add the allspice. Stir in the Jell-O powder and float the star anise, if using, on top. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours, or on high for about 3 hours. Serve with a scoop of orange sherbet—it will cool the beverage down enough for small children to enjoy right away, and creates a fun foamy/slimy film on top.
The Verdict
We had a playdate a few days before Halloween, and my five-year-old taste testers couldn’t get enough of this stuff. The comments I overheard were priceless:
“It doesn’t taste like there are spiders or lizards or bugs in it.”
“How did your mom even know how to make this?”
“Is my tongue green yet?”
“I’ve never had ice cream in a drink before.”
“I guess this is why witches have green faces.”
This is a super easy hot beverage to whip up, and tastes like a lovely citrus cocktail. My little friends were thrilled with their after-school snack (I promise I fed them lunch before filling them with sugar!), and I received many sticky hugs and thank-yous.
