The world is ever-changing, and we are all feeling stress and pressure in new ways. It is becoming ever more important for us all to take a little me-time and enjoy the moment. Schedule a time out and make one of these twists on traditional drinks to give yourself a break to properly enjoy.
Even better, take your drink outside to enjoy. It is a well-known fact that time outdoors does wonders for your mental health.
There is something magically comforting about a warm mug of your favourite drink. As autumn is now here, we have picked our favourite drinks to add an autumnal twist to.
Check out our drink recipes, round up the ingredients and get your biggest* mug at the ready.
Coffee – Pumpkin Spiced Latte
For real autumn lovers, the arrival of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes – or PSL for the aficionados – on coffee shop menus is the real sign that the season is here!
This is a truly delicious and comforting take on the classic latte and can easily be made at home.
Ingredients:
- Whole Milk 125ml
- Espresso 1 shot
- Pumpkin Syrup
- Ground Cinnamon ½ tsp
- Ground Nutmeg ½ tsp
- Ground Clove ½ tsp
Method:
- Make a single shot of espresso using a machine or mocha pot
- Gently heat your milk in a saucepan – don’t boil as this will burn the milk
- Froth your milk using a milk frother
- Add your espresso, syrup and ground spices to your mug and stir
- Pour the frothy milk into your mug
Tea – London Fog
It could be argued that you can’t beat a good original cup of tea. In the spirit of trying something new, we have given the internet popular ‘London Fog’ a go.
A word of warning for Earl Grey purists – this involves milk…half Earl Grey tea, half steamed milk
Ingredients:
- Whole Milk 125ml
- Water 125ml
- Earl Grey Loose Tea 2 tsp
- Vanilla Pod or Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tsp
Method:
- Make your concentrated Earl Grey tea with the water and loose tea, let it steep for up to 5 minutes
- Gently heat your milk in a saucepan – don’t boil as this will burn the milk
- Use a milk frother to turn the milk foamy
- Strain the concentrated Earl Grey tea into your mug
- Add the vanilla from a pod or the pure vanilla extract into the mug
- Top the mug with your warm milk holding back the froth to the end to put on top
Herbal tea – Apple, Cinnamon, and Chamomile
Autumn is rich with apples and spice and what better way to put this to use than to give your good old chamomile tea some extra flavour!
Ingredients:
- Water 400ml
- Chamomile Loose Tea
- Cinnamon Stick
- Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp
- Dried Apple
- Fresh apple (cut a few slices and peel the remaining apple)
- Honey
Method:
- Add the apple peel, dried apple, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon and honey to the water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Boil to reduce down for 5 minutes until the apple peel is soft
- Take the saucepan off the heat and add the loose chamomile tea
- Leave for 2 minutes
- Add the apple slices and cinnamon stick to your mug
- Strain the tea into your mug
Hot chocolate – Chai Hot Chocolate
For hot chocolate lovers, this subtle twist adds a gorgeous, spiced twist for autumn.
You can purchase Chai Blend, but it is super easy to make at home.
Homemade Chai Spice Blend
- Ground Ginger 3 tsp
- Ground Cinnamon 2 tsp
- Ground Nutmeg 1 tsp
- Ground Cardamom 1 tsp
- Ground Cloves 1 tsp
- Ground Black Pepper ½ tsp
Add the spices into a bowl and mix. Store in an airtight container.
Plus, if you make your own homemade chai spice blend you can pop it in an airtight container to use in other recipes or pop it in a pretty little jar to give as a gift.
Ingredients:
- Whole Milk 250ml
- Chai Blend 2 tsp
- Cocoa Powder 4 tbsp
- Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tsp
Method:
- Gently heat your milk in a saucepan – don’t boil as this will burn the milk
- Add the chai blend, cocoa powder and pure vanilla extract and stir into the milk
- Pour from the saucepan into your mug
- To make your chai hot chocolate extra special top with whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup
Alternative – Golden Turmeric Milk
During autumn one of the most notable things is crisp leaves below twiggy trees. It’s not just leaves that go a bit crisp during autumn it can be our bodies too. If you need something a little different to soothe you and ease those creaky joints, try a Golden Turmeric Milk. Turmeric is known to be an immunity booster and is a great remedy if you are feeling a little run down.
Ingredients:
- Whole Milk 250ml
- Turmeric Powder 1 tsp
- Honey 1 tsp
- Black Pepper (ground or powder to taste)
Method:
- Gently heat your milk in a saucepan – don’t boil as this will burn the milk
- Add and stir the turmeric and honey
- Add the black pepper – if you like it spicy add a quarter teaspoon of powdered pepper, for less of a kick add just a pinch of fresh ground pepper
- Pour from the saucepan into your mug
Night-time – Sweet Dreams
If night-time is your opportunity to have some quiet downtime, then make it really worth your while with this Sweet Dreams drink that will help you drift off to the land of nod.
Ingredients:
- Whole Milk 250ml
- Lavender Honey 1 tsp
- Vanilla Pod or Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tsp
- Ground Cinnamon to taste
Method:
- Gently heat your milk in a saucepan – don’t boil as this will burn the milk
- Stir in honey
- Split your vanilla pod and stir in the contents
- Pour from the saucepan into your mug
- Top with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon
All our recipes suggest whole milk, but this can be substituted for your preferred coconut, soy or almond alternative.
*We have used the liquid measurements of 250ml of milk/hot water for each of our recipes. Check the volume of your mug before you start making your chosen drink – a half mug of something is a disappointing feeling. A quick measure tip is to fill your mug leaving a margin for the milk to expand and pour this into the saucepan. Use a teaspoon to taste your drink before you pour it into your mug so that you can add more ingredients if required. That way you’ll know you’ll have a deliciously full mug of goodness to enjoy.
Even better, make multiple cups and share with family and friends for some quality time.