There are so many reasons why drinking hot chocolate with some heart friendly herbs, might be an appropriate fit for right now: It's cold outside, you need a cozy drink, February 14th is approaching, or because life's current intensity is a lot to handle, but the reasons why I love this demitasse treat is because it tastes decadent, lifts my spirits and is perfect for hydrating skin that might be dried out from the winter elements. It's creamy and chocolatey, as you would expect, but, there's no dairy, nut or oat milk in sight.

.It's made with a mix of herbal powders including rose, marshmallow root, cinnamon, hawthorn and cacao, plus a pinch of saffron...This mini cup is all you need to wipe away the winter blues and give you a warm fuzzy feeling.

Once the powders are blended together with vanilla and hot water they alchemize into a creamy, unctuous potion that’s a cross between a smoothie and a cup of tea; marshmallow root is one of the main ingredients and softens and moisturizes, adding a gentle thickening quality. Hawthorn, rose, and cacao, are well known heart herbs that soothe the edges of sadness, & winter gloom, giving the heart a gentle pre-valentine pick me up. Heart friendly cacao and saffron have the added benefit of sharpening the mind and enlivening the spirit and the cinnamon adds sweetness, so additional sweeteners need only be minimal.

I powder all the herbs myself, using a designated coffee grinder. This ensures maximum flavor and freshness each time I make the drink. The one herb I would recommend purchasing pre-powdered is the hawthorn berry as it has a large seed that can be hard to grind without a professional grinder.

The Recipe
Makes 2 demitasse cups
1 teaspoon marshmallow root powder
1/2 teaspoon rose powder
1/2 teaspoon cacao powder
1/4 teaspoon hawthorn berry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2-3 threads of saffron
1/2 cup of boiled water
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup

Method
Whisk the powders together with the hot water, vanilla extract and sweetener until they are fully amalgamated. Serve the potion with a spoon and give it another stir before sipping to ensure the powders don’t sink to the bottom of the cup.

Enjoy!