The holiday season is always my favorite time of year. I love all the celebrations, festive fashion, decorations, and time spent with family and friends. It is a little harder to go out and do as many things this season since I’m almost at my due date, but I’ve been trying.

Two weekends ago we had some friends over to watch the Festival of the Lights on the Magnificent Mile. Since we live right by Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, we thought it would be fun to watch the parade and celebrate the holiday season. We wanted to bring some festive drinks and snacks outside so I whipped up some homemade hot chocolate and white chocolate peppermint cookie bark to join in on the fun.

Thanks to Dixie® To Go cups, we were able to bring our hot chocolate to the festival. Their leak-resistant lid and insulated layer gives you the best on-the-go experience. No effort, no clean up, no worries so you have more time to focus on the things that matter. Dixie® To Go cups helped us enjoy our hot chocolate on the go so we could celebrate more and stress less.

The hot chocolate and peppermint bark were both a huge hit so I wanted to share both recipes with you today. The white chocolate peppermint cookie bark is the perfect snack to bring to any holiday party and would also make the cutest gift. The hot chocolate is so simple to make and why not spice things up by adding a fancy marshmallow to the mix. Both recipes are extremely festive and perfect for the holiday season.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Bark

20 ounces of white chocolate morsels
16 chocolate cookies or Oreo cookies
1 package of candy canes

Line a 13 X 9 baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Put the cookies and candy canes each in a separate plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Then set aside.
In a medium bowl, melt the white chocolate using a microwave. Be sure to stop and stir every 30 seconds so that the chocolate does not burn.
Once the chocolate is melted, spread onto the tray using a spatula or knife. The white chocolate should cover the entire pan in an even thin layer.
Top with crushed cookies.
Place pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to harden.
As the chocolate mixture is hardening, melt the remaining 12 ounces of white chocolate in the microwave.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator and spread the remaining white chocolate over the top in an even layer.
Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the top of the chocolate.
Place back in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes to harden completely.
Once ready, lift the parchment paper onto the counter. The chocolate should lift right off the paper.
Break into pieces by hand or by using a knife.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/3 cup of hot water
4 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. of salt

Combine the cocoa, sugar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan.
Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture boils. Continue to cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Slowly stir in the milk and heat, making sure not to boil.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla then stir well.
Serve immediately with fun marshmallows and candy canes.