Grown-Up Mexican Hot Chocolate

What a week it has been! Last night we were feeling as if it were already Friday. Nope. I guess we were just hoping it was Friday.

But after the boys were in bed last night, Jake asked if we could have grown-up hot chocolate and sit in front of the fire. You got it! Jake split wood and I put milk to steam on the stove.

Ingredients serves 2

• 2 C milk
• 3 whole cinnamon stick
• 1 dried pepper
• 1 whole vanilla bean, split
• 1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 1 pony shot (1 ounce) per mug - or a jigger (1.5 ounces) if you wish - of tequila

Procedure

Place milk, 1 cinnamon stick, dried pepper, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and heat on low to medium until bubbles form around the edges. Don't let it boil or scald! Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the cinnamon stick, pepper, and vanilla bean. Whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar until smooth. Heat through again.

To serve, place tequila shot in the bottom of the mug, fill with chocolate-milk, and garnish with a whole cinnamon stick.