This year, I decided that the kids would have more of a hand in Christmas happies for people like teachers and family friends….literally. They began by making cinnamon ornaments for people at a local nursing home. More than once I wondered if the glitter was a good idea, but the kids had a blast! And, the ornaments smell delicious.
I am still finding glitter everywhere though. Oh well…it was worth it.
Then, we decided to make some homemade marshmallows to go with our Cinnamon Hot Cocoa Mix (recipe below). The kids loved watching the clear liquid become fluffy marshmallows.
Cinnamon Hot Cocoa
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 8 oz. package of cocoa
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (more or less to taste)
- Whole milk for serving
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and salt, and whisk to combine well. Store the mixture in an airtight container.
- For individual servings, pour 1 cup whole milk into a microwave-safe mug, and microwave on high just until hot. Add a heaping spoonful of cocoa mix, and stir to dissolve. For a larger batch of cocoa, warm the milk in a saucepan set over medium-low heat, taking care not to let the milk boil; as it warms, stir in a heaping spoonful of mix for each cup of milk.
This mix will keep all winter if stored in an airtight container.
To package for gifts, we just put the mix and the marshmallows in separate treat bags and added tags that had mixing instructions. We tied a bow with twine and raffia, adding the ornament to the bow.
Enjoy!