Hot Chocolate Treat

If you have a family that loves hot chocolate, here are some fun and easy ways to make the hot chocolate treat presentation special.

With cold weather on the way, make an evening hot chocolate treat even more special. Here are some tips for delicious and fun garnishes:

1. Rather than tossing marshmallows into the hot chocolate, skewer some mini marshmallows onto a wooden toothpick and set in the mug. I use on a toothpick.
2. Make fresh whipped cream or use whipped cream in a can, such as Reddi-Whip, and garnish the top. Use a vegetable peeler or grater to grate some chocolate over the top, as I did in the photo.
3. Use whipped cream but instead of chocolate shavings as a garnish, drizzle some Hershey’s syrup over the whipped cream.
4. Crush up leftover candy canes or peppermint candies and stir into the hot chocolate for a peppermint flavor.
5. Using Wilton Food Writer pens, make fun marshmallows. Get the kids involved. Skewer a couple on toothpicks for snowmen, make Stormtroopers from Star Wars, design Christmas trees. The possibilities are endless.

On really cold mornings I’ll make the powdered hot chocolate for my kids to warm up. While that’s good once in a while or for just one or two servings, I will usually make homemade hot chocolate. Especially if it’s family movie night.

If you’re looking for a delicious homemade hot chocolate recipe try my ultimate hot chocolate. It’s a Christmas morning staple, though I make it other times through the season as well. 

Hazelnut hot chocolate drops are another fun way to make hot chocolate. Keep these individual servings on hand and stir into a mug of warm milk.

If you want the perfect cookie to go with your mug of hot chocolate, try my hot chocolate cookies (that’s kind of a given) or Aunt Deborah’s snickerdoodles. Really, I think snickerdoodles are the perfect cookie accompaniment. 

Originally published January 17, 2011