Dairy-free Hot Chocolate

I love how Pinterest makes me consider trying new ways of making old favorites! This time the spin is on a classic cup of hot chocolate.

And what better time than on a cold winter's day when the boiler in my building had (yet again) broken. That meant NO heat and NO hot water! The cats and I were FREEZING! INDOORS!

A lot of the recipes I found called for coconut milk, but I wasn't ready to make such a big change to an old standby just yet. I had some Trader Joe's unsweetened vanilla almond milk on hand, so that's the first one I tried.

I'm working more milk alternatives into my life lately-- not for any particular reason, really, but it's a nice bonus that almond milk has a ton fewer carbs in it compared to dairy milk. I am certainly not qualified to talk about hormones, blah blah blah, but almond milk seems like a nice simple substitute for the heavier cow's milk. Just ignore the silly grammatical error on the box (before "it's" time!?!?!? WRONG!!!)

[Okay--I thought about it.. maybe they meant they will milk no almond before IT IS time (to milk it)?]

I slowwwwwwly heated up the milk, then melted a half square of unsweetened chocolate into it, whisking as I went. Once it was warmed through, I sprinkled in just a smidge of Splenda to sweeten it. I sprinkled some freshly ground cinnamon into it and called it a day.

This came together in less than 5 minutes and was surprisingly good! Is it exactly the same as cow's milk hot chocolate? Of course not? It's not as thick and heavy, but it did have a strong chocolate flavor, just enough sweetness, and warmed me right up on a chilly January day. This was a great little experiment that turned out quite deliciously!

Do you have a favorite milk alternative? Let me know in the comments!

Almond Milk Hot Chocolate

(1 serving)

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)

1/2 block of Baker's unsweetened chocolate ( you could use a few T of cocoa powder)

Splenda, to taste

Freshly ground cinnamon (dash or 2)

Slowly warm up milk in saucepan. Add the chocolate bar and let it melt, whisking as you go. Once the bar melts completely, remove pan from heat. Add Splenda & spices as you like them. Serve & enjoy!

Follow @Lkpnyc

Pinterest "Pancakes"

Are you on Pinterest? It's like a digital corkboard where you can store all sorts of ideas, projects, outfits, decorating ideas, and of course, RECIPES! I saw a few friends pin a low-carb (and gluten/grain free!) pancake recipe that sounded too good to be true, but too good not to try. These. Are. SCRUMPTIOUS.

While I found this recipe on Pinterest, it originally appeared here on I Breathe..I'm Hungry, a gorgeous & fun food blog run by Melissa S.

Cream cheese, eggs, a dash of cinnamon, and sweetener (I used a scant 1/2 teaspoon of Splenda). That's IT. I let the cream cheese come to room temperature, threw all 4 ingredients in my mini food processor, and 30 seconds later, I had batter. Very thin batter, but it smelled like the real thing!

I cooked these up 2 at a time in my nonstick pan. They browned up perfectly and smelled so good! There were pancake-sized but closer to crepe in feel.

I doubled the recipe and made half for dessert, and then cooked the rest the following morning. This time I made them pancake size AND crepe size, topping them with whipped cream (also sweetened with Splenda) and fresh nectarine slices. Oh, Summer!

Don't let the cream cheese scare you--these are not heavy, clunky, bready bits. They're light, delicious, and left me sated but not in a simple-carb stupor.

As Melissa mentions, these are not like the old, sit-in-your-stomach-food-coma-inducing pancakes (which I also have from time to time). They're like a delicious pancake/crepe hybrid. The springy, thin texture was more like a crepe to me-- and deliciously similar to the Dutch pancakes ABF & I had back at Amsterdam's Pancake Bakery (review here). That is NOT a bad thing at all-- I just wouldn't expect fluffy, pillowy, Bisquick-type pancakes when you make this. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with the taste. These are a new favorite for me, and I'm so happy Pinterest led me to Melissa's blog!

Cream Cheese Pancakes from I Breathe...I'm Hungry(check out her blog for more delicious inspiration)

Original Link HERE

For eight 6-inch pancakes/crepes

4 oz cream cheese (half a bar)

4 eggs

scant 1/2 tsp Splenda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Let it rest a few minutes, or put in the fridge overnight (my next-day crepes were even better!) Cook until golden on each side--I like mine more gold than brown-- and top with syrup, fresh fruit, whatever you'd like! Makes about 8-10 pancakes/crepes.

Follow @Lkpnyc