Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix and Giveaway for #ChristmasWeek

Give the gift of hot cocoa to the entire family with this allergen-friendly mix. Add a bottle of the spike of your choice so that the entire family can enjoy a treat. This post is the start of #ChristmasWeek, a sweets-filled extravaganza hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Kiss My Smoke. 

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Note: I am taking a break from my usual routine of posting recipes using local produce from my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share, the farmer's market, and the garden. If you've got a pile of veggies you're looking to use, may I suggest checking out my Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient? 

Does this photo look like the chaos that ensues during tree trimming time?  It's supposed to. Or maybe that's just my house.

I'm going to come across as a total booze hound in this post and I apologize in advance. I know that turning to alcohol will not solve any of life's petty little annoyances nor cure any chronic behavior issues. I know that alcohol is not a long term coping solution for any of life's stressors. If you are concerned about giving a gift with alcohol, please feel free to substitute any of the flavored syrups posted below as your spike of choice. Those flavored syrups are going in our Christmas stockings (and hopefully my kids aren't reading this).

With that caveat out of the way . . . it can be pretty damn hard to solo parent teens, or really kids in general, and the extra activities of the holidays make it doubly hard. Please consider giving the gift of a jar of Spiked Hot Cocoa Mix to anyone you know who would enjoy it--even yourself. What a wonderful way to unwind after a busy holiday than with a cup of hot cocoa--spiked with a little something for mom & dad, [mom & mom, dad & dad, solo parent] left plain for the kids. I've had such fun working on this recipe and I looked forward to my nightly recipe testing!

You'll notice a couple of subtle changes from the standard hot cocoa gift mix recipe. First off, there is no powdered milk in this recipe. That means you need to get to mix it with the milk of your choice. An extra step to be sure, but I have my reasons. I grew up drinking the occasional milk-stretched-with-powdered-milk and personally can't stand the taste of reconstituted milk. I'll bake with it no problem, but I will not drink it by choice. I'd rather literally walk a mile down the street to pick up a gallon of organic milk for me and my kids. [It's good exercise for the dogs, too.] If you have a dairy allergy or are avoiding cow's milk, this mix is for you as it is dairy free. Please feel free to mix up your hot cocoa with the rice, soy, or nut milk of your choice.

The second difference is that you're not going to see a cute little bottle of booze tied with twine to the jar. I love me too much not to shell out $16 for a full size bottle, good for many servings. Aren't your recipients worth it, too? What if you don't even want the hassle of mixing up hot cocoa mix? Hit the grocery store and pick up a canister of store brand chocolate milk mix and a large bottle of Bailey's or Peppermint Syrup. It's the thought that counts, after all, and you'll get no judgement from me. After all, I post my failures right up on my FB page. I shudder to think what Pinterest fails I'd get up to if I had access to twine. As this is a relatively easy holiday gift idea, I thought it would be a nice kick off for #ChristmasWeek. Since I've been baking (and eating, and delivering baked goods) for the past few weeks, I'm able to start of the week with a collage of all the recipe I'm bringing to you. Check 'em out!

Welcome to Day 1 of Christmas Week. This annual event was started in 2012, and is hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic. This year we have over 35 bloggers sharing festive sweet recipes for the event. 

Recipes from Day 1 of Christmas Week! Please visit all our talented participants:

Pistachio Brittle from Cravings of a Lunatic

Coconut Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake from Desserts Required

Peppermint Bark from Poet in the Pantry

Eggnog Pound Cake from The Redhead Baker

Quince, Cranberry and Persimmon Crisps from Pineapple and Coconut

Chocolate Fruit 'n Nut Bites from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Fancy Chocolate Covered Marshallows from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake from Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Marzipan Fruits from The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Eggnog Truffles from Crumb: A Food Blog

Peppermint Fudge from The Bitter Side of Sweet

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from Amee's Savory Dish

Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Glaze from Comfortably Domestic

Christmas Sweets and Treats from Food Done Light

Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix from Farm Fresh Feasts

Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies from Mother Would Know

Coconut Pralines from Food Lust People Love

Blueberry Overnight Sweet Rolls from My Catholic Kitchen

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies from Daily Appetite

Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps from Try Anything Once Culinary

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Dark Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Cups from Savory Experiments

Bourbon Soaked Eggnog Cake from Cooking In Stilettos

Ginger Snap Cocktail from Food Babbles

Coquito Cinnamon Roll Bundt from Mind Over Batter

No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

Easy White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Big Bear's Wife

Easy Cream Cheese Cookies from Everyday Southwest

Gingerbread Cookie Bars from From Gate to Plate

Molasses Ginger Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Apricot Spice Biscotti from Savoring Italy

Caramel Bacon Bark from Dixie Chik Cooks

Gluten Free Chocolate Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies from The Tomato Tart

Easy Macadamia Cashew Brittle from Aloha Flavor

The winners of the giveaway are:

$500 Gift Card-> Ruth Deaton (her entry was via Kate of Food Babbles, Pinterest Follow)

$250 Gift Card-> Jeanna Schirm Massman (her entry was via Christie of Food Done Light, Pinterest Follow)
$50 Gift Card-> Michele Behlen (her entry was via Stephanie of Daily Appetite, Pinterest Follow)

Congratulations!

Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix (nearly fills a pint size canning jar)

Ingredients

• 1 cup cocoa powder (I used a blend of Penzey's and Special Dark)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher)
• to serve, 8 ounces or so of the milk of your choice
• to serve, 1 ounce or so of the spike of your choice

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Watch out for flying cocoa!
2. Transfer to the storage container of your choice. I used my canning funnel but a rolled up piece of paper would do the trick. 
3. This nicely fills a 12 ounce jar, and nearly fills a pint size jar. (You can always throw mini marshmallows in to fill the space).
4. To serve, spoon a couple of heaping soup spoons into the mug of your choice. Add a bit of milk of your choice, about ¼ cup, and stir well until the cocoa powder is dissolved into a rich dark color. Add in more milk, then microwave at full power for a minute. Stir, then microwave another 30 seconds or so at full power until you like the drinking temperature. Stir in a splash of the 'spike' of your choice after heating. Enjoy!

And now, for a wee bit of behind the scenes. It was a bright afternoon when I was scurrying around to get these bottles of flavored syrups photographed and hidden away before the kids got home. To decrease the glare on the bottles I held up a piece of black foam core against the window. The result is more detail, seen in the right hand side photo.

Are you looking for recipes using seasonal produce from the farm share, the farmer's market, or your neighbor's prolific garden? Check out my Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me wondering what to do with Swiss chard, beets, and that case of oranges from the band fruit fundraiser. Follow me on Pinterest, on Instagram, and on my FB page for even more recipe ideas and behind the scenes snapshots. Want to know How to Use This Blog? Thanks for stopping by!