Holiday Hot Cocoa Bar

Growing up (i'm sure like a lot of families) my siblings and I would gather in the living room on Christmas Eve to hear my dad read "The Night Before Christmas."  It has always been a favorite tradition of mine, but what always seemed to make it extra special was the tray of hot cocoa my mom would serve us while we listed to my dad read the book.  Talk about a special and delicious evening!  I have to admit that even though I am a fully grown adult, I still enjoy this tradition.  I still have the same copy of the The Night Before Christmas that my dad used to read to us, and while I still incorporate the hot cocoa aspect, I have taken it up a notch and now serve up a Christmas Eve Hot Cocoa Bar with all of the fixings.  Here is how I go about creating this delicious holiday treat:  

Hot Chocolate Bar Suggestions

• Williams Sonoma Classic Hot Chocolate
• Gourmet Marshmallows (here and here)
• Peppermint Sticks or Chocolate Peppermint Stirrers
• Chocolate Shavings (to garnish)
• Whipped Cream (see this recipe)
• Marshmallow Cream
• Gingerbread House Mug Toppers
• An Assortment of Cookies (I love this homemade recipe)
• Godiva Chocolate Liqueur (for those age 21+)
  • Here are a few additional ideas for Adult Hot Cocoa
• Hot Cocoa Mugs (here and here)

Whether you are reading a classic Christmas story to the kids before bed or looking for a fun dessert idea to serve at your holiday party, a Hot Cocoa Bar is always a crowd pleaser. 

Host a Pumpkin Carving Party

This past Friday, I invited a small group of friends over to my house for cocktails and pumpkin carving.  Since none in this group (myself included) has kids, which is typically the most compelling reason for carving pumpkins, we had been missing out on this fabulous holiday tradition for quite some time.  So as you could imagine, the response from my guests to this party invitation was an enthusiastic "yes!".  After extensive plotting and planning, I came up with a pumpkin carving party that struck a perfect balance of sophistication with splashes of festive Halloween accents thrown into the mix. Below is a breakdown of the various elements from my recent pumpkin carving party, filled with great ideas and tips on how you can recreate this holiday tradition with your own group of friends!

Pumpkin Carving Station

Since there were a fair number of us carving pumpkins, I decided to transform my dining room table into the pumpkin carving station.  Here is a list of the supplies I used to create this space:

• Disposable Painting Tarp
• Pumpkins
• Set of Assorted Foam Brushes
• Carving Knives (I just used my favorite Victorinox Steak Knives)
• An assortment of paints (see this post for more details)
• Glitter 
• Glue
• Tea Lights
• An assortment of Halloween candies (to keep everyone's energy levels up)
• Free Pumpkin Stencils courtesy of Better Homes and Garden (so many fabulous options!)

Pumpkin Trivia

Instead of just sitting around the table carving pumpkins in silence or with generic conversation, I thought it would be a fun idea to take this time to share a little pumpkin trivia with my guests.  Not only was it fun to see what my friends knew about pumpkins, but it also added an extra element of fun to the party.  This site has everything you need to know about pumpkins. 

Food and Beverage

What cocktail party of mine would be complete without a cheesescape?!?  Here is a breakdown of what I served at this party:

• Cheeses: Jasper Hill Farm Clothbound Cheddar, Cypress Grove Midnight Moon, Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog
• Chutney: Virginia Chutney Co. Balsamic Fig Chutney
• Crackers: Raincoast Flats Kale and Walnut, Dr. Kracker Pumpkin Seed Cheddar
• Ina Garten's Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta
• Other Nibbles: Edamame, Somersaults, Assorted Nuts, Veggies and Hummus
• Wine: Napa Cellars Pinot Noir

Goody Bags

What Halloween party would be complete without a little Trick or Treat!  Well, in our case it was more of a nod to Trick or Treating.  Each guest received a goody bag and mini bottle of Prosecco at the end of the evening  to take home along with their carved pumpkin. See my post on Halloween Treat Bags for more details.

This party was a huge hit with my friends and the perfect culmination of the various projects I had been sharing throughout this past month.  Even though it may seem at times like pumpkin carving should be more of a kid centric activity, there are so many ways to enhance the sophistication level of this activity, ultimately making it worthy of adults and even a cocktail party!  

Dark Chocolate Toffee with Smoked Maldon Salt

Today's recipe is a spin on the classic Saltine Toffee Recipe.  This is a dessert that great to have on hand for summer entertaining, because it keeps really well and I recommend serving it straight out of the freezer.  Cold chocolate on a hot summer day? Um, yes please!!  

This recipe also makes for a great hostess gift-- simply wrap up a portion of the recipe in cellophane paper, tie with a pretty ribbon and add a thoughtful gift tag.  Easy, quick and delicious, whats not to love about this perfectly balanced sweet and salty dessert?!?

Ingredients

• 34 Degree Natural Crisps
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 1 cup of Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Bag of Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• Smoked Maldon Sea Salt

*Not sure where to find 34 Degree Crisps in your area?  Try their new Crisp Locator App.  This tool maps out the location of every flavor crisp in your area and maps the proximity to your home.  So fabulous!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
2. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with a non-stick cooking spray (ex. Pam)
3. Assemble a slightly overlapping layer of 34 Degree Natural Crisps on the bottom of the jelly roll pan and set aside
4. In a small sauce pot, add butter and brown sugar on medium-high heat and stir contents intermittently using a high heat spatula
5. Once the butter/sugar mixture (toffee) has melted together and comes to a rolling bubble, remove from heat and pour over crackers
6. Use a spatula to smooth out toffee mixture evenly over crackers, then place in the oven for 5 minutes
7. Once the toffee is done baking, begin to melt the chocolate in 30 second increments using a microwave safe bowl in the microwave
8. Stir chocolate after every 30 seconds of cooking until completely melted (about a minute and 20 seconds)
9. Pour melted chocolate over toffee crackers and spread evenly
10. Sprinkle top of chocolate with Smoked Maldon Sea Salt and allow to cool for 30 minutes before  moving to the freezer 
11. Once frozen break off rustic pieces (using your hands) and serve