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Canelazo – A Spiced Cinnamon Rum DrinkA Holiday Treat from Founder/Executive Chef of Dr. Gloria’s Kitchen @ The Anti-Inflammation Cooking InstitutePrep to Serve: 15 min. Yield: 4 cups5715054610A Canelazo will warm you on a cold night in the Andes—or a cold night anywhere, with the delicate aroma and taste of South America. Canelazo is mostly associated with Ecuador, where I’m based in the northern Andes at 8,000 feet. That said, it is also a favorite in the highlands of Colombia, Peru, and northern Argentina. It's made from brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves, orange and lime juice, and the Colombian concoction known as "aguardiente," or firewater. You might be thinking the ingredients sound a lot like a hot toddy, and you would be right. It's a hot toddy with a South American twist—the aguardiente.Aguardiente is a broad term for beverages with alcohol-content and distilled from a variety of sources. The kind they drink in South America is made from cane sugar, so rum makes a great substitute if you can't find aguardiente – look for it in Latin markets. If there were ever a cocktail perfect for a winter warm up, it’s Canelazo. Not only is it mildly sweet and deliciously flavored with holiday spices, but I’m pretty sure this would knock out a cold too – that’s probably what my grandmother would say. Made with cinnamon, sugar or natural sugar substitute, and a splash of citrus, this hot spiced cinnamon rum cocktail will quickly replace your favorite fireside hot toddy – with or without the rum!I first discovered Canelazo on one of my many trips to southern Ecuador in Cuenca, my second home in Ecuador (considered the European capital of South America and rightly so with its impeccably maintained French and Spanish colonial architecture). It was a cold evening after an amazing Jazz Show and my partner and I needed something hot to counter the cool night air on the way back to our home base. Canelazo not only fulfilled that desire but also satisfied better than any hot beverage had done so before.Typically made with a sugar cane based alcohol called aguardiente which literally translates to “water fire.” Since we just wanted to have a little warm up and not turn into fire-breathing dragons, and because aguardiente isn’t often readily available every place here or in the US, I took some inspiration from its sugar cane source and used rum instead to create the following:Ingredients3 cups of water2/3 cup light brown sugar*2/3 cup dark brown sugar*Juice of 1 limePinch of salt1 teaspoon whole cloves4 to 6 cinnamon sticks1/2 cup orange juiceounces (or more to taste) aguardiente or rum ***I used a mixture called “Panela + Stevia” found here. It is like the brown sugar in the U.S. made by Lakanto? called “Golden Sugar” which is a natural sweetener and comes in the same form as brown sugar without the calories or sugar that sabotage our health. You can also use a powdered Stevia and add some vanilla extract to give it that brown sugar taste or see my recipe below for a simple syrup.*You can substitute the rum for an organic rum extract to keep it alcohol-free; experiment, it’s worth the effort!Steps to Make ItBring the water, brown sugar (s), lime juice, salt, cloves, and cinnamon sticks to a boil.Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.Remove from heat and stir in the orange juice.Add the aguardiente, rum, or rum extract to taste.Reheat before serving, without boiling. If it boils, the alcohol will boil away. On another note, if you choose to make it the original way with rum, go ahead and boil it; you’ll still get the amazing flavor without the alcohol as it will completely boil away.Strain and serve hot.Host a Canelazo Night Deep into winter or for those chilly evening gatherings—nothing could be more fun than hosting a Canelazo night.Gather up your friends and make a roaring fire. Then make up a big batch of this warming Canelazo and have yourself a cozy and hospitable evening.So what tastes good with a sweet and fruity but fiery drink like this? Lay out an array of interesting cheeses with fresh fruit and include some grapes. I love serving cream cheese or chèvre smothered with a homemade Balsamic Fig Reduction or White Peach Balsamic on a gluten-free pound cake cut into bite size pieces or a stuffed grilled peach…totally addictive. Healthy Alternative to Brown SugarFIRST, begin by making a dark simple syrup mixture with either Organic Panela + Stevia or Lakanto Golden (we’re not using brown sugar in any of our recipes in our Institute test kitchen because we’re avoiding sugar and ingredients that “ignite” inflammation and feed candida).Simple Dark Syrup…2 cups water1 cup Lakanto Golden or Organic Panela + Stevia4 oz rum1-2 small oranges, juiced OR Frozen unsweetened orange juice8 cinnamon sticks about 3-6 inches longStar anise or cloves as garnish if desiredINSTRUCTIONSIn a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar on low to medium heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved, creating a dark simple syrup.Add to the simple syrup the remaining 1 cup of water, rum, orange juice, and cinnamon sticks. Stir until heated, being sure NOT TO BOIL it as that will cook off the alcohol…unless…you choose to make it alcohol-free then bring to a slow rolling boil.0-801 Liquid Love – Distribute the hot spiced cinnamon rum among four glass mugs or small demitasse cups, adding an additional cinnamon stick to each appropriate to size of cup or glass mug as garnish.Happy Holidays…Dr. Gloria ................
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