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by Arleen M. Kaptur 

Winter winds, crunchy snow, sledding skiing, or whatever your cold weather activities are - nothing warms you and gives your body a lift like an aromatic hot beverage - sipped by an open fire, sitting in a cozy chair near the fireplace, or by a window watching the snow fall - 
  

Holiday Coffee:

2/3 cup cocoa, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt, 2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk, 8 cups water, 3 cups strong coffee, cinnamon sticks, ground nutmeg Combine cocoa, cinnamon and salt in a large pot. Add sweetened condensed milk, stirring until smooth. Place pan over medium heat; gradually stir in water and coffee. Heat thoroughly but do not boil or the milk will curdle. Garnish each serving with a cinnamon stick, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Refrigerate leftovers. Add 1 cup brandy and 1/2 cup light rum along with water and coffee if desired. A touch of warmth - a bit of spice! 
  

Hot Buttered Rum: 

1 cup butter, softened, 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened, 1-3/4 to 2 cups light rum, 7-1/2 cups boiling water, whipped cream, ground nutmeg, cinnamon sticks Combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon; beat until light and fluffy. Add ice cream, stirring until well blended. Spoon mixture into a freezer container; and freeze until firm. To serve, thaw mixture slightly. Combine butter mixture, rum, and boiling water; stir well. Top each serving with whipped cream, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve with cinnamon stick stirrers, if desired. An old-fashioned trip to flavor!
  

Wassail: 

Peel of 1 lemon, 3 slices peeled fresh gingerroot, 1 stick cinnamon, 6 cups dry red wine or cranberry juice, 6 cups apple cider, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 oranges, unpeeled, cut into 6 wedges each, 36 whole cloves Place lemon peel, gingerroot, cinnamon and allspice on a small piece of cheesecloth or in a paper coffee filter. Bundle up the corners and tie top with kitchen string, leaving excess string to hang out of pot for easy retrieval. Set sachet aside. In a large pot, combine wine, apple cider, and sugar. Add sachet. Bring to boil over high heat stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 mins. Remove sachet. Keep wassail warm over low heat. While wassail simmers, stick 3 whole cloves into peel side of each orange wedge. Place one wedge in each serving cup and ladle hot wassail over top. Serve hot. A Charles Dickens memory! 
  

Hot Chocolate Supreme:

1 cup sugar, 1-/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa, 1/4 tsp. salt, 5 cups water, 2 cups milk, 1 cup heavy cream In a pan, combine sugar, cocoa, and salt. Whisk in water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat to medium. Add milk and cream. Heat through. Keep warm over low heat. Serve chocolate topped with marshmallows or whipped cream sprinkled with crushed peppermint candies. To your delight - a toast!
  

Warm up to these wonderful Holiday beverages and toast your family, friends, and guests - ENJOY!