Cookies and Cocoa

Tonight Jason and I had a few families from our neighborhood over for a Cookies and Cocoa party. Everyone brought a plate of goodies and I had a Crockpot of cocoa with a bunch of different toppings: whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, cinnamon, peppermint sticks, and marshmallows. You could also have different flavored coffee creamers, chocolate shavings, or sprinkles. I have a bunch of different colored and shaped mugs, and everyone just filled their mug with cocoa and topped it with whatever they wanted. Then we grownups sat around and talked while the kids ran wild (literally).

Christmas Cocoa

10 cups milk

3/4 sugar

3/4 cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups hot water

Pour milk into Crockpot and turn on high heat. Mix together sugar, cocoa, salt, and hot water in a heavy saucepan. Boil 3 minutes, stirring often. Pour into milk and stir. Cover and cook on high heat 2-2 1/2 hours. Stir before serving. Makes 12 servings.

And I found this recipe too late, but I want to try it sometime...

Hot Cocoa Marshmallow Cupcakes

1 pkg devil's food cake mix

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups mini marshmallows (I like Jet-Puffed French Vanilla Snowman Mallows)

1/4 cup milk

1 tub Cool Whip, thawed

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Make and bake cupcakes as directed on package

2. Place 1 cup marshmallows, the chocolate, and the milk in large saucepan; cook on low heat until marshmallows and chocolate are melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly. Cool at least 30 minutes. Gently stir in Cool Whip.

3. Frost cupcakes with Cool Whip mixture; top with remaining marshmallows. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.

I think these cupcakes would be perfect to go along with a hot cocoa bar after a sledding party! (Which is something we often did when I was in high school in PA--we used to sled at the VA hospital hill behind my high school and then go back to my place, where my mom would have hot cocoa waiting for us... fun)