Christmas gifts made by hand have always meant a lot more to your loved ones than something store-bought because they are more personal. Handmade gifts represent the feelings of the gift-giver and show that they care enough to sit and spend their time making that gift just for you. One of our favorites has always been hot chocolate in a jar. They even make great Christmas decorations if you’re not ready to give them to somebody as a gift yet.

Everybody loves hot chocolate. It is a gift that they will really appreciate during their cold holiday season and gives you some warm chocolatey goodness to sip while admiring your Christmas lighting. You can find lots of different recipes for making hot chocolate, but here is one that we am particularly fond of.

Ingredients

First, find yourself a Mason jar. It can be any size, but we have found the pint-size works best. Next, add the following ingredients to the jar:

3/4 Cup of Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup of Non-Dairy Creamer
1/2 Cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

For a little extra pizzazz, add in layers of chocolate chips and tasty mini-marshmallows.

Why Non-Dairy Creamer?

Non-dairy creamer eliminates the need to mix in warm milk. If you are fond of using milk in your hot chocolate recipe, you can eliminate the creamer. Just be sure to notate that your gift recipient will need to add warm milk instead of water during preparation. We must admit after a Christmas lighting installation, our crews prefer hot chocolate with real milk and whipped cream!

Preparation

Preparing the jar involves whisking all your ingredients together (without the marshmallows and chocolate chips). It’s a lot less messy when you use a funnel to pour the mix into your jar. Fill about 3/4 of the way to the top. Layer in the marshmallows and chocolate chips until the jar is full, then seal the jar.

Decorate For That Special Touch

To finish off your gift, you can tie a ribbon around it, paint it, bedazzle it or whatever you feel makes it beautiful. Remember that your gift recipient may use this gift as one of their Christmas decorations before they use it. Make it festive and cheery to look at so it matches the season. We strongly recommend that you add the recipe, in case they really like it and want to make some of their own.

Remember to give directions on preparing the hot chocolate. We have found that just two heaping tablespoons for 6-8oz. of boiling water or milk (if you’re not using the non-dairy creamer).

Having a cup of hot chocolate during the Holiday season helps bring on the Christmas spirit. Bask in your beautiful Christmas lighting and spend a lovely time with your friends and family this Christmas!

For more Christmas tips and ideas take a look at our other blog entries!