A cup of almond milk warmed with honey, cinnamon and a little ginger. Five minutes, one saucepan, and it is meant for the end of the evening rather than the start of the day.

Warm, not boiled

Over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warm.

Almond milk is an emulsion of ground almonds and water held together with stabilisers, and it separates if boiled. You get a grainy drink with a layer on top rather than something smooth.

Warm enough to be comforting is all you need, and that happens in two or three minutes. Stirring occasionally stops the bottom scorching and helps it heat evenly.

Cinnamon and ginger together

A quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and an eighth of a teaspoon of ground ginger.

Both are warming spices and they work in the same direction rather than competing. Cinnamon is sweet and familiar. Ginger adds a faint sharpness underneath that keeps the drink from being merely sweet and bland.

The proportions are deliberate: twice as much cinnamon as ginger. Ginger is considerably more assertive and equal amounts would tip it.

The cayenne is optional and it does something

An eighth of a teaspoon, and the source suggests it curbs appetite in the evening.

Whether it does that is not settled, and what it certainly does is add a faint warmth at the back of the throat that makes the drink more interesting. Against cinnamon and ginger it reads as part of the same family rather than as heat.

Leave it out entirely if the idea does not appeal. Nothing about the drink depends on it.

Almond butter for staying power

A tablespoon, optional, and it changes what the drink is for.

Without it this is a warm sweet drink. With it there is fat and a little protein in the glass, which is what makes it something that holds off hunger rather than simply tasting nice.

It will not dissolve fully by stirring in a saucepan. Whisk it hard, or use the blender method below.

The blender method

A high powered blender will warm the drink through friction alone in about thirty seconds, with everything blended together.

This is the better route if you are adding almond butter, since blending emulsifies it into the milk completely where stirring leaves streaks.

Not all blenders do this. A standard one blends without warming, and you would need to heat it afterwards.

Unsweetened almond milk

Specified, and it matters given there is only a teaspoon of honey.

Sweetened almond milk carries a considerable amount of added sugar on its own, and combined with honey the drink goes cloying. Starting unsweetened means you control the sweetness entirely.

A teaspoon of honey in a cup of milk is genuinely restrained. Add more if you want, though the point of this drink is that it is mild.

Honey and the vegan swap

Maple syrup substitutes directly and keeps it vegan.

The two taste different. Honey is floral and slightly waxy. Maple is darker and more caramelised. Both suit the cinnamon.

What it is for

A bedtime drink, non-caffeinated, and the source frames it as helping you sleep and wake up energetic.

What can be said plainly is that it is warm, mild, contains no caffeine, and around 146 calories with the almond butter in. Whether a specific drink improves sleep varies by person and it is not something a recipe can promise. <p>As a replacement for a late coffee or a sugary hot chocolate, it is a reasonable one. ## Making a larger batch It scales cleanly and reheats, though it is quick enough that making it fresh is easier. If you do batch it, reheat gently and stir, since the spices settle to the bottom as it stands.

Other milks

Oat milk is naturally sweeter and thicker, and it makes a richer drink. Cashew milk is creamier still. Dairy milk works and changes the character considerably. Any of them can take the same spices.