Cozy Christmas and Holiday Drinks

Homemade Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• Dash salt
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 4 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Small marshmallows,
• Sweetened whipped cream or cinnamon sticks,

Directions

• In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Add water; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk; heat to serving temperature (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Whisk until frothy. If desired, garnish with marshmallows, cream or cinnamon sticks.

For Swiss Mocha Cocoa: Add 2 to 2-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee with vanilla. For Canadian Cocoa: Add 1/2 teaspoon imitation maple flavoring with vanilla. For Slim-Trim Cocoa: Omit sugar. Combine cocoa, salt and water. Substitute fat-free milk. Proceed as above. Stir in vanilla with artificial sweetener equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 211 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 125mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (28g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.

Originally published as Homemade Hot Cocoa in Country Woman January/February 1997

Christmas Coffee

Prep Time

1 min

Author: Back To The Book Nutrition

Ingredients

• Water
• Grounds for 12 cups of coffee
• 15 whole cloves or a pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup can substitute brown sugar

Instructions

1. Fill the machine with water and place the grounds in the filter basket of the coffee machine as you normally would. Sprinkle the cloves and cinnamon on top of the grounds.
2. Place the maple syrup in the bottom of the empty carafe before seating in the machine.
3. Brew as usual.

Merry Christmas Tea

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup minced fresh gingerroot
• 2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches), crushed
• 8 cups pomegranate juice
• 2 cups water
• 12 individual Raspberry Zinger tea bags
• 1/3 cup honey

Directions

• Place ginger and cinnamon sticks on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Bring up corners of cloth; tie with a string to form a bag. Set aside.
• Place juice and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add tea bags and spice bag; cover and steep for 8 minutes. Discard tea bags and spice bag; stir in honey. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 163 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 27mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (41g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.

Originally published as Merry Christmas Tea in Country Woman Christmas 2011

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