CROCK POT HOT CHOCOLATE

This is a very rich recipe - you may want to leave out the cocoa powder.

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12oz bag)

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

6 cups half-and-half

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder (optional)

Put everything in a crock pot and cook on low 2 hours, stiring often to make sure nothing is sticking on bottom.

Set to warm. Serve with toppings, if desired.

Whipped cream, mini marshmallows, chocolate syrup, chocolate shavings, and/or candy canes, to serve (optional)

SHIRLEY TMEPLE

1 ounce grenadine syrup (2 TBL) 

8oz Sprite or Ginger Ale*

2 Maraschino cherries

Fill Glass with ice.

Add the grenadine.

Add the soda.

Top with cherries.

     *Try a mix of 4oz Sprite & 4oz Ginger Ale

SPICED WASSAIL MIX

1 cup sugar

1 cup tang

4oz sweetened lemonade mix, like countrytime

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp clove

1/4 tsp All spice

Red hots, optional for topping

Combine all except red hots thoroughly

Mix 1 cup boiling water with 3 TBL mix and 1 tsp red hots if using

HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

25.6oz box instant dry milk

6oz jar powdered non-dairy creamer

2 cups powdered sugar

16oz can instant chocolate drink mix

1 cup cocoa (optional, but makes it more rich)

1/4 cup mix to 1 cup hot water

CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

1 Gallon Cider or apple juice (128 oz/16 cups)

2 & 1/2 TBL mulling spice* (substitute 2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice)

16 Caramels or 1 & 1/4 cup caramel sauce

Whipped cream & caramel sauce for serving (optional)

1.  Put everything in a slow cooker (5-6qt).  If using mulling spices, put them in

     a tea infuser or just strain before serving.

2.  Cook on low 4-6 hours, high 2-3 hours.

3.  Serve and top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce if desired.

The caramel sometimes separates when the cider is very hot. Just stir before serving.

*see recipe for Williams Sonoma Kopy Kat on this blog.

MULLING SPICES - WILLIAMS SONOMA KOPY KAT

For 5.75 oz of mulling spices:

1 c (2.25 oz) dried orange peel

1/2 C (1.5 oz) cinnamon sticks (pulverized)*

1/4 c (1 oz) whole allspice

1/4 c (1 oz) cloves

To mull cider, gently simmer 1 quart apple cider with 2 TBL mulling spices for up to 20 minutes.  (use a tea ball infuser or just strain before serving)

*To break the cinnamon sticks into chunks I popped them into a ziplock bag then used the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pulverize them.

HOT APPLE CIDER

2 qt. Apple Cider

Juice of 2 oranges

Juice of 2 lemons (1/4 cup)

15 whole cloves (1/4 cup)

6 cinnamon sticks

1 TBL honey

1 TBL ground allspice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3-4 TBL butter

Simmer all except butter

Strain

Stir in butter

Drink up!

HORCHATA

MAKES 8 CUPS

1 cups milk

½ cup blanched almonds

½ cup white rice

2 cinnamon sticks + grated cinnamon

¾ cups sugar

Bring 2 cups of water, milk, almonds, rice and cinnamon sticks to a boil in medium saucepan over high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender about 30 minutes.  Remove cinnamon sticks and cool completely.

 

Working in batches if necessary, carefully transfer the mix to blender and puree until smooth.  (I like to strain mine through cheese cloth)  Pour into pitcher.  Stir in the sugar and enough water to make a total of 8 cups.  Chill.  Serve in tall glassed over ice.  Garnish with sprinkle of cinnamon

*IF YOU HAVE TO BLANCH YOUR OWN ALMONDS

Blanch almonds by immersing the nuts in boiling water and then rubbing off the skin. You can do this at home, by placing the nuts in a bowl and pouring hot water over them. After they sit for several minutes and the water cools, slip off the skins. They will probably be too waterlogged to use in a recipe immediately, so you'll have to first toast them in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden. If you aren't planning on using them immediately, let them dry on their own.

PURPLE COW

8oz vanilla ice cream

12 oz grape juice

You can either serve as a float or blend the 2 ingredients together

VIRGIN DAQUIRI

14oz can pineapple chunks in juice

12 oz bag frozen strawberries

2 TBL super fine sugar

2 medium limes juiced

Blend well in blender

Fresh strawberries for garnish

ANGIE HANSEN'S TART LEMONADE

FULL RECIPE

10 cups water

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ TBL citric acid

1 ½ TBL lemon extract

HALF RECIPE

5 cups water

¾ cup sugar

2.25 tsp citric acid

2.25 tsp lemon extract

Mix all together.  Chill.  Can place sliced fruit, lemons, limes oranges, watermelon, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, etc.  if you desire.

RASPBERRY LEMONADE

1 can frozen lemonade

1 packet red kool-aid any flavor

2 ltr. Sprite

1 cups sugar

1 pkg frozen raspberries

Mix all together.

SPICY CRANBERRY PUNCH

¼ cup red hots

4 cups water

8 cups cranberry juice

6 oz limeaide concentrate

6 oz orange juice concentrate

Melt cinnamon candies in water on low heat.  Mix all together.  Chill until ready to serve.

ROOT BEER

6 cups white sugar

3 ½  gallons cold water

2 oz bottle root beer extract (4 TBL)

4 lbs dry ice

Mix together the sugar and water.  Stir until dissolved completely.  Stir in the extract.  Carefully put in the dry ice.  DO NOT SEAL CONTAINER.  Let it brew for 1 hour.  Seal leftovers and chill!

HOLIDAY PUNCH

6 oz grape juice from concentrate

6 oz pink lemonade from concentrate

6 oz orange juice from concentrate

4 cups water

32oz ginger ale (4 cups)

RAINIE GRAHAM'S ALMOND DRINK

1 can orange juice concentrate

1 can lemonade concentrate

1 cup sugar

10 cups water

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond

2 ltr. Sprite

TOMBALL WASSAIL

8 cups apple cider

2 cups orange juice

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup pineapple juice

12 whole cloves

4 cinnamon sticks

½ cup sugar

Simmer until well mixed.  Makes 11 8oz servings.