Delicious Drinks to Warm Up Your Winter

February 1, 2024

Winter Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cup half-and-half 
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, plus more for topping 
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • Mini marshmallows for topping

Time

  • Prep time: 15 minutes 
  • Total time: 15 minutes 
  • Yield: 4 servings

Directions

  • Heat the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
  • Stir in ¾ cup white chocolate chips until melted. Next, stir in the salt and vanilla.
  • Serve the cocoa and top with mini marshmallows and white chocolate chips.

Cherry Citrus Punch

Ingredients

  • 16-ounce jar maraschino cherries
  • 3 limes, thinly sliced
  • 1 orange, halved and thinly sliced
  • 6 spiced hibiscus tea bags
  • 1 12-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 
  • 2 liters chilled ginger ale
  • 2 12-ounce cans chilled seltzer
  • 1/4 cup grenadine
  • 4 cups water

Time

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes 
  • Yield: 8 servings

Directions

  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; drain cherries and reserve juice, about 1 cup, in the fridge. 
  • Spread the cherries, limes and oranges on a baking sheet; freeze for 2 hours or up to overnight.
  • Simmer 4 cups water in a small saucepan. Add tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes.
  • Discard the tea bags and let the tea cool, refrigerate until cold.
  • When ready to serve, pour the tea and maraschino cherry juice into a punchbowl; add the orange juice concentrate and stir to combine.
  • Add the ginger ale, seltzer and grenadine.
  • Add the frozen cherries, limes and oranges before serving.

Maple Chai Tea

Ingredients

  • 4 cracked cardamom pods 
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ¼ inch piece fresh ginger 
  • 3 whole cloves
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg, plus more for topping
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon loose leaf black tea
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Time

  • Prep time: 8 minutes 
  • Total time: 8 minutes 
  • Yield: 2 servings

Directions

  • Combine the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, milk and water in a saucepan.
  • Slowly bring the saucepan to a simmer for 3 to 4 minutes; add the loose leaf tea to the saucepan.
  • Allow the tea to steep for 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the maple syrup before straining the tea with a fine mesh sieve or tea strainer.
  • Serve the tea and top it with nutmeg.

By Mary Koczan and Laqueeta Coleman August 28, 2026
District 684 Brentwood, Pennsylvania and District 699 Frankenmuth, Michigan
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