Cold hands, hot chocolate

Whether you prefer to call it hot chocolate or hot cocoa, few things satisfy the soul on a cold December day as a steaming hot mug full of creamy, chocolately goodness. It’s the perfect beverage for family gatherings and holiday parties, as it can be tweaked to suit almost any preference.

You can keep it traditional or mix it up with tahini hot chocolate or Biscoff hot chocolate. Prefer something spicy? Try hot cocoa with ancho chiles and spices. You can make the drink dairy free by substituting coconut or nut milks, as in this coconut hot chocolate.

Milk, dark, and white chocolate variations abound to suit anyone’s chocolate tastes. Even if the holidays bring warm weather where you live, you can always have this frozen hot chocolate for all of the flavor without the steaming mug. Spiked versions are also easy to find.

Try one of these creative hot chocolate recipes from the EYB Library to add warmth to your holiday gathering:

Cranberry cinnamon hot chocolate from Eats Well with Others (pictured above)
Melted ice cream hot chocolate from Food & Wine by Jeni Britton Bauer
Epic hot chocolate from JamieOliver.com by Jamie Oliver
Barcelona hot chocolate from Cooking Light the New Way to Cook Light
Malted hot cocoa from The Great American Slow Cooker Book
Caramelised white hot chocolate from Kavey Eats
Boozy hot chocolate from Delicious Magazine (UK)
Frozen hot chocolate from Fine Cooking Magazine