If you’re looking for something fun to do this winter or need an inexpensive but enjoyable idea for a kid’s birthday party, consider hosting a skating party. If you’re not lucky enough to have a rink in your own or a neighbour’s backyard, the Woolwich Memorial Centre (WMC) offers free public skating on Saturdays at 4 pm, as well as after school skate a few weeknights.
After the skating party, you can invite everyone in to warm up with hot chocolate. We’ve spiced up a traditional hot chocolate recipe and made it Mexican with the addition of chili powder, so everyone will be warmed up in no time. Paired with these maple cheddar snacks adds some sweet to the mix – and what screams Canadian winter more than maple?
Both of these recipes are simple to make, even if there’s a crowd. You could pre-make the hot chocolate before the party and keep it warm in a slow cooker so it’s ready to go when you get back from skating. You can also prepare all of the ingredients for the snack in advance.
Maple Cheddar Snack
Ingredients
- 1/4 C butter, softened
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup
- 8 slices of bread
- Sliced old cheddar cheese
- 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced thin
Instructions
- Heat cast iron pan to low.
- Cream butter and maple syrup together in electric mixer.
- Generously spread the maple butter on both sides of the bread slices, add sliced apple and cheddar in layers, top with another slice of bread.
- Place in cast iron pan and keep on low so as not to burn the maple butter.
- Once golden brown, remove from pan, cut into quarters and serve.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 4 C milk
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar, packed down
- 4 tbsp. cocoa
- 2 tsp. white sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 4 tbsp. good quality chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Bring the milk to a simmer; add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a rolling simmer until the chocolate melts.
- Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream or marshmallows, if desired. Enjoy!
Image: khunaspix / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
