We got our first good snow a few days back. It has since melted in the incredibly unusual 50 degree weather, but it was lovely while it happened.
The coldness and darkness of winter really gets me down—but not the snow. I can do without the temperature being -35°F at the height of the day (that’s not an exaggeration, check back with me somewhere around February 9th and I’ll tell you all about it…ad nauseam) but as long as I’m not trying to go somewhere, I like a nice furious blizzard.
And so do the kids.
It had snowed all night and we woke up to a wintery weather wonderland. Hiro requested to be fetched from preschool via snow sled and how could I deny such a request. It continued to snow throughout the day and after Louisa got home from school we bundled in our layers and headed to the nearest hill. The kids climbed and sled and threw snow balls and I just stood there enjoying that peculiar strain of muffled silence that comes from delicate flakes of ice falling to the ground.
Every mother know the best way to get your kids to come inside once you’ve gotten too cold is to offer up some hot chocolate. I’ve been known to make the lazy lady’s hot chocolate (chocolate syrup + milk) but because it’s the holidays and everything this time of year should include sprinkles, here’s another (only very slightly more complicated) version to try.
It wanted to capture the flavors of a decadent Christmas sugar cut-out cookie so I added a smidgen of Fiori di Sicilia, an extract from King Arthur Flour that combines hints of vanilla and citrus but you can substitute lemon extract or even fresh lemon zest if you want.
And don’t forget the whipped cream!
Sugar Cookie Hot Chocolate Recipe
To make this drink extra cute, dip the rims of the cups in water and then dip into colored sugar to coat the rim in sprinkles.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups whole milk
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia or lemon extract
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Combine cream and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until cream forms big, fluffy peaks. Refrigerate if you’re not going to use right away.
- Combine milk, white chocolate, almond extract, and Fiori di Sicilia in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking until steam is rising from the pan and chocolate is melted and dissolved.
- Pour into cups and top with whipped cream. Dust with sprinkles before serving, if desired.
One More Thing
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Such a cute boy you have! Lovely!
Thank you Adina! He’s been stealing my heart since 2012!