Own winter with Van Ryn’s brandy and NOMU hot chocolate

Fight off the winter chill in the most decadent way with hot drinking chocolate and fine brandy cocktails, while raising a toast to World Chocolate Day on 7 July.

Fine potstill brandy and quality, dark chocolate always makes a great pairing. Using Van Ryn’s 10 year Vintage Brandy and Van Ryn’s 12 year Old Distiller’s Reserve potstill, cocktail specialist Owen O’ Reilly created three hot chocolate and brandy cocktails – or as he likes to call them, hot brandy choctails.

An extra flair of luxury is added with NOMU’s range of premium hot drinking chocolates. These recipes can be made at home and promise the most decadent accompaniment to help you own winter.

  1. VAN RYN’S PUMPKIN PIE

INGREDIENTS

PUMPKIN PURÉE

COCKTAIL

TO SERVE

METHOD

PUMPKIN PURÉE

Preheat oven to 200°. Cut pumpkin into 4, remove seeds, and place onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp NOMU Cook’s Collection Holiday Baking Spice, and bake for an hour, or until the pumpkin is soft to the touch. Set aside – once cool, remove the pumpkin skin.

While cooling, add the water, sugar and remaining 2 tbsp NOMU Cook’s Collection Holiday Baking Spice to a small pot, and bring to a rolling boil. Simmer while stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.

Add baked pumpkin pieces to a blender or food processor with the spiced syrup. Blend until smooth and then pour through a fine strainer. Add a little water if the purée is too thick. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

COCKTAIL

Pour the Van Ryn’s 10 Year Old Vintage Brandy and pumpkin purée into your choice of mug or glass. Add NOMU Skinny Hot Chocolate and stir into a paste.

Add boiling water, leaving room for cream, and stir briskly.

TO SERVE

Whip the cream to soft peaks and stir through the NOMU Vanilla Paste. Gently spoon the cream into the glasses, and drizzle with the remaining pumpkin purée.

  1. VAN RYN’S BLAZING CHOCOCCINO

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Use two small pots or frothing jugs with handles. Add all ingredients to one pot or jug and heat while stirring.

Carefully light the liquid using a long handled lighter, and slowly pour burning liquid from one pot or jug to the other.  Repeat this step 4 or 5 times, to aerate the mixture.

Pour into a serving vessel and garnish with marshmallows.

  1. VAN RYN’S COCO-CHOCO WINE COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

SPICED WINE SYRUP

COCKTAIL

METHOD

SPICED WINE SYRUP

Combine the ingredients except for the orange peel to a pot. Stir while heating, dissolving sugar dissolves. Add the orange peel and bring to a light simmer, allowing the mixture to reduce for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool before bottling. Can be stored in the fridge for a week. Makes 200ml.

COCKTAIL

Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan on the stove top and heat, stirring continuously. Do not boil. Whisk the mixture before serving. Pour into a heatproof wine glass and garnish with a marshmallow.