Photo by Winnie Jeng

One of the best things about winter (even in our snowless El Nino winter) is with the cold weather onset, it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy a nice mug of hot chocolate. Here are some ways to spice up the good old hot chocolate and marshmallows.

1.  Add a candy cane. Peppermint or Cherry, both are great to swirl around and add flavor.

2. Try a splash of liqueur to really warm things up. Any chocolate compatible liqueur will do: Disaronno, Kahlua, Grand Marnier (if you’re into citrus-chocolate pairings).

3. Not horribly uncommon, but add a dash of cayenne or cinnamon to give a little bit of kick to it.

4. If you’re really sick of the powdered hot chocolate mixes try mixing nonfat milk, dutch-processed cocoa powder, white chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips together for your own take on hot chocolate.

5. Tea and hot chocolate can be great combination. Add in your favorite type of tea to your hot chocolate mix. Suggestions: mint tea, green tea, experiment to see what works best for you.