Witchy Hot Chocolate and 4 More Cozy Winter Drinks to Brew

When the nights get long, a warm mug is the closest thing to a spell you can sip. Here is my enchanted hot chocolate and four more winter drinks that make a kitchen witch's home feel like a hug.

Witchy Hot Chocolate

• 2 cups milk or oat milk
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, a drop of vanilla
• Whisk everything over low heat until smooth, pour, then top with whipped cream, a moon-shaped marshmallow and a dusting of cinnamon.

4 more cozy winter drinks

Spiced apple cider

Simmer 4 cups of apple juice with 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, 1 star anise and a few orange slices for 20 minutes. Strain and serve warm.

Non-alcoholic mulled cranberry

Heat 2 cups cranberry juice and 2 cups apple juice with orange slices, cinnamon and cloves. Keep it just below a simmer for 15 minutes. For a grown-up version, red wine can replace the cranberry juice.

Golden milk

Warm 1 cup of milk with 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of black pepper and a slice of ginger. Sweeten with honey.

Orange cinnamon tea

Steep black or rooibos tea with a strip of orange peel and a cinnamon stick for 5 minutes. Add honey and a splash of milk if you like.

Serve it like a ritual

Light a candle, pick your favorite mug and add a garnish with intention: orange for joy, cinnamon for warmth, rosemary for remembrance. Save this to your winter drinks board and brew one a night in December.