{"id":518,"date":"2023-01-20T10:51:54","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T10:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lwcreative.co.uk\/?p=518"},"modified":"2025-03-02T22:42:07","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T22:42:07","slug":"winter-hot-chocolate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startswithabrew.co.uk\/?p=518","title":{"rendered":"Winter Hot Chocolate"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The rain was strong, so strong I nearly left my umbrella at home for fear that my walk would involve multiple inside out incidents before it would be eventually given up on and I’d wind up becoming thoroughly soaked. In the end I braved it, with the umbrella in hand, living in the hope that it wouldn’t be that bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was one of those winter mornings which seems to stay perpetually dark and grey, merging into the afternoon with the same downcast shadows before eventually turning into the night, completely unnoticed because the darkness never really left. The rain bashed against the train windows, and as I looked outside waiting for my stop and considering the walk to the library I had ahead, I thought to myself, “This better be worth it.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was off on a research day, a time to read, absorb new words, images and stories. In time I made my way to the library, the umbrella thankfully did not turn inside out, and found myself in the non-fiction section to see what it had to offer. I selected four books and settled myself down on a sofa to soak up the contents. All where brilliant, but there was one in particular that was the inspiration for my January Make\/Bake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Book and the Benefits of Hot Chocolate <\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In Making Winter by Emma Mitchell she talks about serotonin, and the effects winter can have on our minds and our energies, all the things I spoke about in my last blog post<\/a>. It was something I’d been reflecting on for a few weeks and the whole book struck a chord with me. In this book she has this brilliant recipe for a chocolate dessert which you make in a mug. Not owning a microwave it wasn’t a recipe I could follow, however taking note of her comment on chocolate being great for mood boosting, I decided to share what is (in my opinion) the best hot chocolate recipe ever. It keeps me and my kids happy at least. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, what are the benefits of hot chocolate and why is it good for the winter? Well according to the vast number of articles I’ve read up on hot chocolate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n