Choc A Block

Addiction to anything is a rule by nature. We are such complex beings that making a habit out of something is our birthright, and in a way it works out fine, because this way you always have a fall back in case you are not yourself. Every person has a fix, be it chocolates, alcohol, mint, music, smokes, etc. and some people are spontaneous addicts.

I am a spontaneous addict. If I crave something, I need it at that very moment. A simple example, a lot of people know I am not a chocolate fan, but not a lot of people know, that when I indulge, it continues inexorably for over a week, indulgence to its maximum till I am actually filled to the brim with chocolates and I never want to see or smell anything remotely close to cocoa.

A similar spontaneity situation arose the today, and I had an unexplainable urge to have Irish coffee. I like my Irish coffee with a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream. Now, as usual, when you want something so bad, you always seem to be out of it. I brazenly picked my keys and drove off to my local liquor store to purchase it. As you may have guessed, it was out of stock, I went to a not so local liquor store and they too were out. I was in agony with the thought of no Irish coffee the way I liked it and had half a mind to visit the nearest hotel and pick up my fix. Just when I had given up all hopes and driving a beeline to The Hyatt I saw an advertisement which boasted of a chocolate flavored vodka. I faintly recollected a bottle right at the back of my collection which I had picked up a while ago and never bothered to open. My talent juices acted up and I had thought up an excellent brew which, I felt, would ape the Bailey’s to the “T”.

I reached back home, positively shaking (with excitement at my discovery or a kickback of not getting my fix, ill never be able to tell), and whipped out the ingredients I needed and settled back to make what I assumed would satisfy my urge.

I give you a cocktail version of the concoction I made up, and you can use it the next time you brew yourself a cup of coffee. I’ll leave the Irish coffee recipe for some other time as I am still gloating over my Bailey’s piracy.  

Ingredients:

1 shot of Chocolate Flavored Vodka (‘Remix’ in India)

1 cup Vanilla Ice-Cream

1 drop Vanilla Essence

1 tsp Caramel Flavored Syrup

Ice as required

Chocolate Sauce

Cocoa Powder

In a blender combine the ice-cream, essence, syrup, ice and a shot of Vodka and give it a good whip till smooth.

Take the cocktail glass, and with your fingers, rub the rim of the glass with chocolate syrup. Dip the rim in cocoa and stand upright. Pour a spoon of chocolate sauce haphazardly onto the insides of the glass.

Proceed by pouring out the vanilla–vodka mix carefully straight in the middle of the glass and serve immediately.

This recipe may not beat the real Bailey’s but it certainly is lighter on the stomach and calories (as no excess sugar or heavy cream is used) and you might just land up having a couple of glasses more.