Santa’s Reindeer Hot Cocoa
My homemade chocolate peppermint hot chocolate mix can be stored in a large airtight container for home use or packaged in easily decorated canning jars (or other airtight canister) for gift giving.
For a low sugar option simply add a sugar substitute in place of the granulated sugar.
For a no sugar option, make the mix using a sugar substitute and omit the candy canes or substitute sugar free candy canes.
Needed:
Hot cocoa mixture:
5 cups powdered milk
1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes
Decoration and other:
mini-marshmallows
small baggies
individually wrapped peppermint candy canes
pipe cleaners (red, green, yellow, or brown)
tiny google eyes
non-toxic school glue
canning jars
stick on bows
stick on labels
folded note cards
hole punch
red embroidery thread or thin curling ribbon
clear tape
Sift cinnamon, cocoa, and sugar together. Whisk together well with powdered milk and crushed peppermint candy canes.
For gift giving:
To decorate individually wrapped candy canes as reindeer, make antlers from pipe cleaners to twist on top at the bend and add google eyes. Google eyes may or may not have a stick on backing but do not always stick well to the plastic wrapper therefore also highly recommend using a drop of non-toxic school glue then hold in place until dries.
Add hot cocoa mix to canning jars. Leave enough room at the top for a small baggie of marshmallows. (Without a baggie the marshmallows would dry and harden even though sealed in jar as the cocoa mixture absorbs all the moisture).
Attach and secure the reindeer candy canes around the outside of jar with clear tape. Smooth the strip tape across the top, around and down the sides of the candy cane, then onto the jar on each side. Place a small piece of the tape in this fashion at the top, middle, and bottom portions of the candy cane.
Write “Santa’s Reindeer Hot Cocoa” on labels and stick on jars.
On a note card, write the instructions “Spoon 3 Tbsp. chocolate peppermint hot cocoa into a mug and add hot water. Top with marshmallows and use an unwrapped candy cane to stir.”
Punch a small hole in the upper left corner of the note card using the hole punch.
Insert red thread or ribbon into the hole and tie the instructional note card around the neck of the jar.
Top the jar lid with a standard stick on bow.
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