Every year when Halloween is over, I start decorating for Christmas. Too soon you say. Not for me. :) I know there are strong opinions on decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but I just can’t help myself. (Especially when the weather gets cooler and they’re playing Christmas movies on tv!) No matter what season it is, I love all things cozy and I try to make every space in our home just that. Cozy. And what says “cozy” more than a cup of hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows?
The first thing I do each year before any decorations go up, is make up a batch of hot chocolate mix. I know you can just go to the store and buy already made hot chocolate powder, but I love knowing exactly what is in the foods we eat and drink. You could search “homemade hot chocolate mix” and get a ton of recipes that I am sure are delicious, but this recipe is SO simple you won’t even need to write it down. So here it is. Ready?!
SUPER SIMPLE HOT CHOCOLATE MIX RECIPE:
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, White Sugar and Cinnamon. Is your mind blown? haha. No seriously though. Trust me. It is really good. I typically do about 1/2 cup of Cocoa powder (I love Droste Cocoa. It’s imported from Holland.) to 3/4 cup of sugar. In a bowl, mix the cocoa powder & sugar together and then add a few dashes of cinnamon and whisk together. That’s all. Simple and yummy. Store it in a mason jar. It will stay fresh all season long! When you are ready to make your hot chocolate, just warm up some milk (if you want it more creamy, I highly recommend using half and half) on the stove and when it starts to heat up, whisk in your hot chocolate mix.
Now for the fun part! All the extra goodies. Front and center you see my favorite Santa Mugs filled with cute holiday straws and candy canes. If you’ve been around Grace in His Beauty for awhile, perhaps you already know that I am obsessed with mason jars and use them for literally everything. And you can’t have hot chocolate without marshmallows. (*edited 11/2022, this was originally written a few years ago) This picture is from last year and I got festive tree marshmallows and peppermint ones. They aren’t the best for you, but they are super cute. (The ones we typically use in our hot chocolate are the ones from Trader Joe’s. There is something magical about them.) I also always have sprinkles because sprinkles make everything better. Next is my favorite white chocolate peppermint chunks. (see the picture below.) –(*edited 11/2022 they have since stopped making the white chocolate peppermint chunks. They were so good! But you can make your own with white chocolate and crushed up peppermint pieces.) You can also add little bottles of flavored syrups like; peppermint and hazelnut to add another fun twist. Get creative and have fun!
The fun of this set up is not only does it double as a cute display, but also that it can be easily switched up to accommodate your family’s favorite things. You can make it into a self serve station for parties with a carafe of hot milk ready to go. Or you can make it for a fun family movie night and then let the kids top with their own mix-ins.
I hope this inspires you to add a little magic to your next cup of Christmas hot chocolate!
xo, Elizabeth