Christmas

Christmas Eve Hot Chocolate

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Christmas Eve Hot ChocolateEvery year growing up we used to leave milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. That tradition is sure to continue with our little one. However, I don’t think Santa would mind ONE bit if we left him some of this hot chocolate instead of milk along with his cookies. In fact, I’m POSITIVE he would love it. 

Christmas Eve Hot ChocolateThis is a *super* rich and creamy version of hot chocolate that will leave your whole body warmed. Notice the sweetened condensed milk pouring into this pot of cream and whole milk…Yeah. It’s rich. In fact, I’d say it’s on a totally different planet than the “hot chocolate” packets that often pop up. Don’t get me wrong, I still use powdered hot cocoa and love it. But for Christmas Eve, this version is certainly a treat worth having. Santa will leave your house so, so happy. 

Christmas Eve Hot ChocolateThe only comparison I can come up with is the hot chocolate Travis and I had on our final night in Italy a few years ago. We were sitting in a cozy cafe near the leaning tower of Pisa. Stop right there. Picture that stunning image for a second…Okay, proceed. We wanted to treat ourselves to a little something and decided on hot chocolate. That was a genius idea. I think had the best hot chocolate of my life there. Now, this might not be an identical recipe, but it sure did bring me back to that little cafe. All the good feels came back real quick.

Christmas Eve Hot ChocolateChristmas Eve hot chocolate is almost like a pause button on life. With all the stress of Christmas – running around to see family, wrapping presents, making endless food, traffic, decorating, etc. – this hot chocolate will force you to sit and enjoy the little things of life. Even if just for a minute. And it will put a SMILE on your face! What more can you ask for?! Maybe some peppermint truffles to go with it?? Yeah. That’s what you can ask for 🙂

Christmas Eve Hot Chocolate
Serves 8
Rich and creamy hot chocolate recipe from scratch
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Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
12 min
Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
12 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 cups whole milk
  2. 2 cups heavy cream
  3. 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
  4. 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted*
  5. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  6. pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Whisk together milk, cream, and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until tiny bubbles just begin to form along the edges.
  2. Whisk in the melted chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt until evenly distributed.
  3. Serve warm with whipped cream, marshmallows, or your topping of choice!
Notes
  1. To melt the chocolate chips, you can either melt them over a double boiler or in the microwave. To microwave, heat in 30 second intervals, mixing each time, until the chocolate chips are melted.
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Peppermint Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Truffles

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peppermint sandwich cookie truffleDecember is holiday time! Yay! When I think holidays (especially Christmas), I think peppermint. It’s just so festive and fun! You will definitely get your peppermint fill with these peppermint chocolate sandwich cookie truffles. OH. MY. YUM. If you’re confused what I mean by “chocolate sandwich cookie”, it’s just a very generic way of saying peppermint “Oreo” truffles. I decided not to play favorites because I did indeed use the generic brand that was labelled “chocolate sandwich cookies.” Guaranteed delicious no matter the brand. For reals.

peppermint sandwich cookie truffleI remember making chocolate sandwich cookie truffles in middle school home ec. class (Am I dating myself here? Do they still have that class??). In fact, I think that’s the only recipe I remember making in that class because, well, chocolate. You can’t forget a delicious chocolate recipe. Also, the original recipe literally has 3 ingredients…sandwich cookies, cream cheese, and chocolate chips. You don’t even really need a recipe for that. SCORE!

peppermint sandwich cookie truffleI used my homemade peppermint extract in this recipe. Amazing! Couple notes if you use a homemade extract…First of all, this isn’t baked so if you use an alcohol base in your extract, it will have a very small amount of alcohol in the final recipe (split over about 50 truffles). Also, I actually used a little extra extract than the recipe calls for (about 3 teaspoons instead of 2 teaspoons) because I find the homemade stuff isn’t quite as strong as store-bought. However, you also have peppermint candy cane dust to bring the peppermint flavor home so it’s not a huge deal if the extract isn’t super strong.

peppermint sandwich cookie truffleI love a strong peppermint flavor so you know for sure that something is peppermint. I ended up adding more and more peppermint to get the right flavor. I think I finally got there with this final recipe! Don’t forget a little candy cane garnish so everyone knows what deliciousness there is in that perfect little truffle!

peppermint sandwich cookie truffleIf you love a peppermint and chocolate combo, check out these chocolate mint crinkle cookies. You will not be disappointed. I plan on making them again this weekend because you can never have enough!

Peppermint Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Truffle
Yields 50
Mint and chocolate truffle
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Prep Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr 45 min
Prep Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr 45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 package chocolate sandwich cookies (14.3-ounce, such as Oreos)
  2. 3 peppermint candy canes (plus 1-2 more for garnish)
  3. 8-ounce package of cream cheese
  4. 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  5. 12-16 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips*
Instructions
  1. Crush the sandwich cookies with a rolling pin (or in a food processor) until they are a fine crumb. Set aside.
  2. Use a food processor to pulverize 3 candy canes into fine pieces. You are almost looking for a dust-like consistency but a few fine pieces are okay (you definitely don't want someone to bite down on a large chunk of candy cane).
  3. Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, beat together the cream cheese and peppermint extract until blended.
  4. Beat in the crushed cookies and candy cane.
  5. Form into 1" balls using a cookie scoop and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  7. While the truffles are cooling in the refrigerator, prep the peppermint garnish by crushing or food processing 1-2 candy canes into small pieces to sprinkle over the top.
  8. Right before the truffles are ready to come out of the refrigerator, melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each increment.
  9. Dip each truffle into the chocolate using 2 spoons to help the excess chocolate drip off. Place truffles on a parchment-lined baking sheet and immediately top with the peppermint garnish.
  10. Let the chocolate set before storing in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
  1. I ended up using one 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips plus about another 1/4 cup. You might be able to make it with just the 1 bag, but I'd recommend having more handy, just in case.
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/