(upbeat music)
- Hey, munchies, welcome to the channel.
I'm Alyssia, and I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving
if you celebrate it.
I'm stoked because now all of the holiday festivities
really kick into gear.
This time of year, comforting, warm beverages
are one of my biggest weaknesses.
Honestly, saying no to sugar-laden cookies
and pies is somehow easier for me than beverages.
It's just so deceiving how much sugar they can have,
and it's easier for me to overdo it.
Now don't get me wrong,
I am all about having the real deal here and there,
but moderation is key, and when I don't wanna be moderate,
when I feel like having a cup of hot chocolate,
oh, everyday, for instance,
I have got to figure out how to lighten it up,
and today I am giving you five different recipes
that do just that, plus some homemade vegan marshmallows.
This video was brought to you by Four Sigmatic,
and I will be using a variety
of their products along the way,
and showing you just how versatile they are.
Four Sigmatic believes in the real magic
of functional mushrooms,
and they've made it easy to drink these mushrooms
and other superfoods with their mushroom coffees,
superfood blends and elixirs.
Different mushrooms have different benefits.
Some are great for productivity, focus, creativity.
Some are best for athletic performance.
Some help metabolism or digestion,
and some are great for stress.
It really depends on what you want and need that day.
All of their products are vegan, organic,
gluten-free, and instant,
and they are having a special Black Friday cyber sale
where you can get 20 to 50% off their products,
but with my link,
actually you can get an additional 15% off,
which is seriously a steal.
I am stocking up for the year
because they don't have
a better sale than this all year long.
The link is in the description.
So let's get to that hot chocolate first.
It's probably my most regular go-to, and it's so simple,
a peppermint hot chocolate.
("Jingle Bells")
I heat unsweetened almond milk over the stove.
You can use any milk you'd like for all of these,
plant-based or not.
Once it's simmering lightly,
I add in a packet of Four Sigmatic's
Mushroom Cacao Mix with Reishi and a pinch of salt,
and whisk to integrate.
The packet is delicious on its own, just mixed with milk,
or you could even use water if you wanted to keep it simpler
and lower in calories.
It has a natural sweet and cinnamony flavor as is.
These packets are not overly sweet.
It's subtle but satisfying.
You can always add more sweetener of choice if you'd like.
At only 25 calories per packet,
you can make this mix a regular this season and year-round.
I remove the mixture from the heat
and stir in a bit of peppermint extract.
It is strong, so you don't need much.
You can enjoy this as is for a beverage
that's only about 50 calories,
or if you're open to toppings on your hot chocolate,
I always am, add your favorites.
To keep it vegan, there are some awesome coconut
and almond-based whipped creams available in stores now
that are so much easier than making on your own,
and they taste pretty darn good too.
This cacao mix contains reishi,
which supports sleep and stress relief,
so I prefer to have this one at night,
but it's not gonna make you fall asleep,
so you can totally have it any time of day.
It just doesn't have caffeine,
so it's a great option for the evening.
The small bit of coconut palm sugar
and stevia in the mix gives it just enough sweetness
without being overwhelming,
and the cinnamon and cardamom
add a delicious holiday spiciness.
It is so cozy.
Next up, I am sharing an orange hot chocolate.
(lively fiddle music)
It starts with coconut milk and orange peel
in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Again, any milk is fine, but I think orange,
chocolate and coconut are a winning combo.
Bring the mixture to a boil, simmer,
and then remove from the heat.
Cover and allow it to sit for 30 to 60 minutes
to enhance the flavor.
You can use it right away,
but the flavor will be stronger if you're willing to wait.
Remove the rind, return the milk to the stove,
and over medium heat,
add the Four Sigmatic Mushroom Mocha Mix,
some chocolate chips sweetened with stevia, and salt.
The chocolate chips are optional
because there is cocoa powder in the mocha mix,
but I wanted it to be more prominent,
so I added just a few chips.
It doesn't take much,
and it'll add sweetness and a richer flavor.
Once the mixture is melted and smooth,
serve with your desired toppings.
I love a bit of orange zest on top.
This mix contains chaga mushrooms,
which are great for immune function
and high in antioxidants.
This one is sweetened just the same as the other,
but it also has a bit of coffee in it,
so it's more ideal for the morning,
or better yet, an afternoon pick-me-up.
If you're more of a caffeine person,
this one might be for you,
and whether you prefer caffeine or not,
Four Sigmatic has so many options to suit your needs:
caffeine, no caffeine, coffee, tea,
or no coffee and no tea at all and just elixirs.
The website is super easy to search through.
You can go through only what interests you,
and there's so much education
and information about all the products and ingredients,
which I love.
Plus, they've got verified buyer reviews,
and I am all about reviews when I buy anything online.
I love that they leave these there
and are transparent and open
about how the products are received.
Plus, some people really give interesting ways
of using the products in the reviews
that I wouldn't have thought about.
Okay, number three is a Mighty Mexican Hot Chocolate.
Mexican hot chocolate is typically richer
and spiced with cinnamon,
and sometimes even a kick of heat from cayenne pepper.
For this one, I heat almond milk on the stove,
and this time I add
the Four Sigmatic Mushroom Cacao Mix with Cordyceps,
as well as the 10-Mushroom Blend,
cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of cayenne, and a pinch of salt.
Whisk to integrate.
(downtempo music)
The cordyceps in this mix is great for energy levels,
so it's perfect for earlier in the day or early afternoon.
If you can get it in pre-workout, even better.
I also added some of the 10-Mushroom Blend Mix into this,
which is, on its own, Whole30, vegan, and caffeine free,
but the awesome thing about this mix is
that it has all of the functional mushrooms
you could want for the day in one mix,
and you can mix it into anything without noticing the taste:
coffee, tea, but also juice, smoothies, or even oatmeal.
Seriously, I have to emphasize
you cannot taste the mushrooms in any of these drinks,
even the coffee, which I've had many times
and drink regularly.
You can't tell that there's mushrooms in it,
but you still get the benefits, which is amazing.
Also, I want to address the fact
that you can't taste the stevia either.
I am not usually a stevia person,
or at least I'm picky about the type of stevia I use
because of the aftertaste, and in these products,
somehow it's not an issue.
This 10-Mushroom Blend will support your immune system,
but also your general well-being,
which is why I called this the Mighty Mexican Hot Chocolate.
Okay, so once the spices are all integrated smoothly,
remove from the heat
and add a little bit of vanilla extract,
and it's ready for your toppings.
I like the kick from the cayenne,
and it pairs well with the spicy cinnamon,
but it's your call.
Either way, this hot chocolate will get you going
rather than calm you down.
It's not a bad thing to have hot chocolates
to fit any time of day, am I right?
Next we're getting a little bit crazy
with a peanut butter protein frozen hot chocolate.
Why not?
(upbeat rock music)
For this one, I freeze coconut milk in an ice cube tray,
which blends up so well with the rest of the ingredients.
I love doing this for smoothies and shakes of any kind.
Into a blender those frozen cubes go,
along with a packet of Four Sigmatic Mushroom Cacao Mix.
You could use the reishi or cordyceps
depending on what you want.
Later in the day or before bed, reishi might be the one.
If it's earlier or pre or post-workout,
you could try cordyceps.
I also add a bit of water, or you could use more milk,
some Four Sigmatic Superfood Protein,
peanut butter powder, and a small pinch of salt.
Blend it up.
Adjust the sweetness to taste if needed
with your favorite sweetener.
The Superfood Protein is plant-based,
unflavored, and organic,
with multiple functional mushrooms and adaptogens,
and of course, it's gluten free like all of their products.
What I really like
about this protein is the ingredients list.
There are no gums, no fillers, no whey,
and it's sweetened with monk fruit.
It blends into any smoothie,
but can also be mixed with milk or water,
and it's actually good.
I will say, I have tried to find
a plant-based protein powder for a long time,
and most of them are chalky and tough to get down.
This one, it's a blend of pea protein, hemp,
chia, pumpkin, and coconut,
and something about the recipe makes it so much better.
Finally, a plant-based protein that I can handle.
Peanut butter and chocolate is a classic combo
that doesn't steer us wrong here either.
Okay, the last hot chocolate of the day is
a chai latte hot chocolate.
Chai is one of my favorite flavors year-round,
but I definitely gravitate to it over the holidays.
This one is pretty much my at-home substitute
for when I'm craving a pumpkin spice or chai tea latte,
but I don't wanna spend five bucks or 500 calories.
I heat almond milk over the stove with a cinnamon stick,
and I add a packet of the Four Sigmatic Mushroom Cacao Mix,
as well as a packet
of Four Sigmatic's Mushroom Chai Latte Mix,
and a pinch of salt.
Whisk to integrate.
Allow that to simmer, remove from the heat,
get rid of that cinnamon stick of course,
and serve as you'd like.
This chai is dairy-free of course,
but I think it is awesome that it's also caffeine-free
because there's actually no black tea in it.
It uses turkey tail and reishi instead,
and turkey tail is great for the gut
and supports stress relief,
so it's a nice way to wind down the day.
Even without the black tea,
you get the chai spice flavors from cinnamon,
ginger, clove, and cardamom in the mix.
It is great for evenings
when I want a comforting cup of chai
and a nutritional boost.
Pair that chai with the hot cacao,
and you've got a holiday cup of joy
that doesn't compromise your nutrition.
Okay, so those are my five hot chocolates for you,
all nutritionally moderate enough
to consume regularly this season and throughout the year.
But wait, I still have to show you
how to make vegan marshmallows.
This recipe is pretty cool
because it uses aquafaba, or chickpea liquid,
rather than some of the other vegan marshmallows
that use corn starch or corn syrup.
You simply strain the liquid from the chickpea can.
First, dust a pan with powdered sugar and set it aside.
Add the aquafaba, or leftover liquid
from the drained chickpeas,
and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer,
and let it go on high for five to six minutes until fluffy.
(upbeat music)
Add vanilla extract and whisk another few minutes
until stiff peaks form.
Separately in a small saucepan, combine water and agar agar,
which is a vegan gelatin that is derived from seaweed,
and bring to a boil.
Let it go for three minutes, stirring regularly.
Add sugar and boil over medium-low heat
for another few minutes.
Don't let it burn,
and I don't suggest a sugar alternative for this recipe.
It just doesn't turn out right and doesn't taste great.
Turn off the heat, add salt, and slowly add that mixture
to the fluffed aquafaba a little at a time,
beating on low for 30-second intervals,
and then continuing to add gradually.
It'll turn white, soft, and shiny when it's done.
Add that into your prepared pan,
dust it with powdered sugar and let it cool for an hour.
Now that's mostly it.
Once they've set, you can cut it into squares carefully.
It is a little bit meticulous, but it works,
and dust fully with powdered sugar.
I like to heat an oven over low heat,
around 150 degrees Fahrenheit,
and then turn it off and let the marshmallows sit
in the warm oven to dry them out a bit.
Perfect for any hot chocolate,
but also seriously tasty on their own.
I was really surprised that this worked as well as it did,
and I will definitely do it again.
They are fluffy, sweet, and almost like a soft meringue.
I hope you enjoyed these hot chocolates and marshmallows.
Remember, you have a rare opportunity
to snag these Four Sigmatic products discounted.
Some are 50% off, and you can get an extra 15% off
with my link in the description box.
They only do this sale on Black Friday
or Cyber Monday weekend,
so don't miss out your chance to stock up.
Have a great holiday season.
I'll have more holiday videos coming every week,
and I hope you'll subscribe and stick around for more.
I will see you next week, and remember,
it's all a matter of mind over munch.