New Years Eve Hot Chocolate Bar

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for talk beside the fire: It is the time for home." -- Edith Sitwell I'm a Summer girl at heart but growing up in the Midwest has taught me to appreciate things about every season and I do enjoy the cozy and calm that comes with Winter, giving us time to recharge and an excuse to rest. There's no better pairing than a fireplace, Ella Fitzgerald playing on vinyl (more on that to come in another post!), a warm pair of slippers and a hot cup of hot chocolate...if that isn't quintessential Winter, I don't know what is. I'm always cold so hot cocoa is the perfect warm up and there are so many ways to customize it. This New Years Eve, my girlfriends and I are starting the night with a rejuvenating yoga class and then joining the guys at home in pj's for appetizers and games (and I'm SO excited about it!), so I figured a hot chocolate bar would be a fun addition. Whether you prefer classic with whipped cream and (snowmen) marshmallows or spiked, with Brandy and Frangelico, there's something for everyone. 

I love these milk jars -- I got them as a gift for Christmas and I like that I can leave them out all winter, as they're not just limited to the holiday season. It's fun to have different add-in's for people to choose from: Marshmallows, peppermint sticks, Pirouette wafer rolls, chocolate truffles, Nutella and a variety of alcohol's...Try Marshmallow vodka, baileys, and peppermint schnapps as your 3 base mixers.  We have used this spiked recipe many times before and it is the most delicious hot cocoa you may ever have! Super easy and you most likely have the ingredients sitting in your pantry.  Recipe:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Nutella
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico
• 2 tablespoons brandy

1. 1Place milk, Nutella, and 2 tablespoons of the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the Nutella has melted and been incorporated.
2. 2Reduce the heat to low, add 3 tablespoons of the hazelnut liqueur and the brandy, and stir to combine. Heat until hot (do not boil), then turn off the heat.
3. 3Place the remaining 6 tablespoons cream in a medium bowl and whisk until nearly stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon liqueur and whisk until just incorporated. Transfer the hot chocolate to heatproof serving glasses, top with a dollop of whipped cream, and serve.

Hope you have a wonderful New Years Eve! Cheers to 2017...we have a lot of exciting content planned for next year and look forward to sharing with you. Thanks for reading! Xo Featured:
White mason Jars: Hobby Lobby Hot Cocoa Sign: Hobby Lobby (similar downloadable template!) Joy sign & Red Wooden Tree: Christmas Barn White tree: Target (similar) Snowman marshmallows: Williams Sonoma Hot chocolate cups: Hobby Lobby (similar) Hot chocolate: Moonstruck Tassel Banner: Etsy (similar) Candle: Victorian Christmas