Holiday Hot Cocoa

One of my very favorite ways to get in the holiday spirit is by snuggling up with a mug of hot cocoa. I especially love drinking it on nights when I watch Christmas movies. The chocolatey goodness combined with the twinkling lights on my tree never fail to put me in the holiday spirit! Tonight I got creative in front of the stove, so I’m sharing what I made! ps- if the stove sounds like way too much effort, skip to the bottom– there’s a “lazy” option as well!

Blissful Holiday Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

two tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
one to two tablespoons sugar (depending how sweet you like it– I used one and a half)
pinch of salt
one cup milk
one quarter teaspoon vanilla extract
two tablespoons caramel sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Salted Caramel Sauce)

Preparation

Whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt with about 1/4 of the milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, until the cocoa and sugar are dissolved. Whisk in the rest of the milk and the caramel sauce. Heat over medium, whisking occasionally, until hot. Stir in the vanilla and serve in your favorite holiday mug. Serves one, but can easily doubled… or tripled… or quadrupled.

Make it Irish (and adult)

Pour about two ounces (or more if you have a big mug!) of Irish cream liqueur (such as Bailey’s) into the mug before adding hot cocoa. I call this a Chocolate Leprechaun!

Make it Instagram-worthy

Presentation is everything, right? To make your hot cocoa Instagram-worthy, top with fluffy marshmallows, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and a sprinkling of sea salt. I added a cinnamon stick for good measure.

Make it lazy

Does breaking out your whisk sound like too much effort? I get it, I’ve been there. Use your favorite hot chocolate mix and add it and the caramel sauce to the bottom of your mug, then stir in boiling water. Add a tiny sprinkle of sea salt to enhance flavor. Voila.

What’s your favorite way to make hot cocoa? Let me know and I’ll try it out!

 

If you loved my post, check out what the rest of the #BluegrassBloggers have to offer you this holiday season: