Marshmallow Pops

I first wanted to wish a holiday holiday to all of you Chocolate Shavings readers. Your kind comments, emails and readership mean the world to me and make me want to write even after a long day. I hope your holidays are filled with great company, delicious food and a lot of love. Maybe even a few thoughtful gifts too!

For a simple festive treat, here is my recipe for marshmallow pops. These are delicious - and even better with homemade marshmallows!. You can make them as a part of a dessert buffet table or a simple indulgence for an afternoon party. Once the chocolate has set you can lay them out on platters or creatively display them upwards on a table. If you like marshmallows as much as I do, these are the treat for you!

Spiced Apple Cider and a Holiday Cookbook Giveaway

Can you believe how fast December has gone by so far? I have quite a few things left to do on my list and very little time do it in! This year, I'm spending the holidays in New York - it's the first time that I will be spending the holidays outside of a 'home' - we usually spend the time off at our family home in the South of France. Living in North America now, it always feels great to take the time to go to back to my French roots and recharge but we are switching it up this year! It won't be a home-cooked meal but it will be a delicious New York staple restaurant and instead of lazy days by the fire, we will be catching up with New York's busy Christmas streets. I'm wrapping a few small gifts for my family to pack in my suitcase - just a few presents that are sure to please. Sometimes the holidays end up being a hectic time of running back and forth trying to find the perfect gifts for one another - which in my family can be quite the challenge! Most of my immediate family is not materialistic in the least (which overall is a good thing!) but makes it difficult to attempt to pick something out. So this year, we are keeping it simple and sticking to what really matters in the end: spending time together. That might sound a tad cheesy but that's exactly what it's going to be!

And now for a very fitting recipe ....spiced apple cider! It's perfect for this time of year - soothing and filled with holiday flavours.

Hot Chocolate with Mini Marshmallows

After putting up my Christmas tree this weekend, it seems that the holidays are really in full swing! During this hectic time of year - between holiday shopping, seeing friends and family and wrapping up a busy work year - there is often little time to sit back and relax. No matter how hectic it is, it's always healthy to take a little time to yourself and enjoy the simple pleasures. A warm cup of hot chocolate topped with mini marshmallows and a festive candy cane is a great place to start in my book!

Hot Chocolate with Mini Marshmallows
Ingredients per mug
1-1/2 to 2 cups of milk
1 tbsp of good quality cocoa powder
1 tbsp of bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
1 candy cane
5 or 6 mini marshmallows

Add the milk to a saucepan on medium high heat. Bring the milk to a high simmer and mix in the vanilla extract. Set aside.

In each mug, add the cocoa and chocolate chips. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure the mixture is homogeneous as you go.

Garnish with a candy cane and mini marshmallows. Enjoy!

Gift Wrapping Ideas

It seems that a few days ago I looked at my calendar and September was just ending. How is it almost December? The one thing I systematically look forward to at this time of year is waiting for the first real snow fall. You know, that moment when the skies become white and fluffy, the city quiets down, and thick cotton-like fluffs fall from above in calming streaks? I might not love it as much come February, or March.. or April! but in December it has to be one of the most beautiful scenes nature has to offer.

The first snow fall hasn't hit Toronto yet, but we've been hard at work preparing for the holidays at the Style at Home offices! Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or just time off with friends and family, this time of year usually comes with wrapping a few gifts. I've prepared a few easy ideas to spice up your wrapping skills this year. What do you think? These are all you need to make something personal and pretty without spending a bundle.

To read more about these, take a look at my complete article here.

Holiday DIY project

The holidays are always an ideal time to start working on a few DIY projects. It's usually a great way to save some money but, for me, it's more importantly the perfect excuse to put some time aside to get creative. This is a very, very simple DIY project that will help bring on the holiday spirit. It's just about painting a few pine cones with a soft tone of gold and stacking them in a glass jar. I added a slate label secured with rustic rope. This decor item is ideal to brighten a kitchen counter (that's where mine is right now!) but also looks beautiful atop a mantel, a shelf or on a side table in a guest's room.

Pea and Pancetta Soup

Oddly enough, the term 'comfort food' is not something I ever grew up hearing in France. I think it's because so much of the food really is, inherently, comfort food that it would make for quite a redundant label. From creamy potato puree, to seared duck breast, pot au feu (beef stew), salade de chevre chaud (frisee lettuce topped with melted goat cheese on crusty bread) to even just a cheese platter with a good baguette and cornichons (small French pickles) - there are very little foods in France that don't make you feel good inside. Our conception of food in France is something I have rarely seen elsewhere, if I have to be perfectly honest. The knowledge of food of even those who don't like to cook always strikes me a little when I make my way back home.

Win a Kitchen Aid Mixer with our Holiday Cookie Swap

As readers of this site know, I 've been working for Style at Home for the past few months. The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year for our food and home decor content, and I will be sharing some of my holiday articles with you in the next few weeks . For now, I wanted to let you in on a giveaway I thought all you bakers might be interested in!

We are putting together our first ever holiday Cookie Swap! We will be sharing delicious cookie recipes and photos from our readers. Starting on December 1st, all submissions will be published on our website. The best part? A lucky winner will receive a beautiful Kitchen Aid Stand mixer. You can take a look at all the rules and regulations here. The contest is open to all Canadian residents, excluding Quebec,

What are you favourite treats to make for a holiday cookie swap?