Peppermint hot chocolate
The holidays are some of the most hectic days of the year. You catch up with those nagging family members you see about once every eight months, answer an onslaught of questions about your impending future, and buy and receive gifts that you never even could have asked for.
So while you wait in relentless lines at the mall and then fend off that one aunt who always bombards you with uncomfortable questions at the dinner table, remember to take a break from the frenzied mess of the holiday season. Remind yourself that the holidays don’t have to be stressful; sit back, and treat yourself with these twists on nostalgic wintertime recipes.
Warm spiced apple cider (with rum)
Apple cider is a quintessential and delicious aspect of winter, and it is somehow even better when served warm. One of the best ways to give this old-time recipe a fresh taste is to combine the following: 6 cups of apple cider, 4 cloves, 1 star anise and 1 cinnamon stick.
To prepare, all you have to do is bring the ingredients to a simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The cider serves nicely when topped with whipped cream and garnished with the cinnamon stick in individual mugs.
That being said, if you are looking to make your holidays even more interesting and want to better endure the prying inquiries of your older family members, you can enjoy spiked, spiced apple cider by adding a shot of your favorite rum to each cup.
Peppermint hot chocolate
Hot chocolate is another sentimental holiday drink. Memories of childhood snow days are paired with the rich taste of instant hot cocoa. But now that you’re a sophisticated adult, you might want to step up your game and try your own hot chocolate recipe.
For a simple night in and an effortless way to impress friends with your cooking skills, you can revamp a packet of Swiss Miss to create peppermint hot chocolate. All you have to do is to add a peppermint stick, a candy cane or a bit of peppermint extract to your steaming mug of instant hot cocoa for a creative twist on a crowd favorite.
If a boozy beverage is more your style, try spiking your hot chocolate with Kahlúa and peppermint schnapps.
Reindeer cookies
There seems to be nothing better than baking hoards of cookies when trapped indoors in fear of the frigid air. Keeping cozy is easy when there are homemade snacks to binge on inside the comfort of your own home. For a creative play on the basic slice-and-bake cookie, here is a way to make even the coldest days more comfortable:
Bake pre-made cookie dough (or make your own recipe if you’re feeling daring). When the cookies are done, place two small pretzel pieces to hang off the top left and right of each treat. Add two chocolate chips to the center of the cookie and a red M&M at the bottom, and you will have a makeshift reindeer. Get ready to hand out these kid-friendly cookies to your family members while dodging queries about your academic career.
Peppermint bark
Peppermint bark is more than the typical Christmas cookie. It’s colorful and one of the easiest wintertime snacks to make.
To prepare, melt a layer of your favorite chocolate over a piece of parchment paper on a tray. Place the tray in the fridge to harden the chocolate, and later remove to add a layer of melted white chocolate and crushed candy canes. To complete, sprinkle some remaining crushed candy canes on top and place the tray back in the fridge. With that, you’ve successfully made a creative holiday sweet without an oven.
