If you’re hosting Bunco this month, think warm and cozy. If you have a fireplace, crank it up. Consider a plush white ball (aka snowball), plush snowflake, or a plush snowman as a Traveler. Serve warm drinks, maybe a warm appetizer, and a warm dessert (like the super yummy one below). Decorate with paper snowflakes, snowflake tablecloths, snowflake garland, snowflake table decor, or anything else you can find that says “cold” to you.
To add a little something special to the dessert, print out a simple snowflake design and cover the page with waxed paper. Melt some white chocolate and pipe it out onto the waxed paper, tracing the snowflake (tip: you can use a piping bag or plastic bag with a small hole to pipe or ), then lay a snowflake atop each person’s dessert…it’ll make your guests feel special that you took the time to make it so pretty (and delish).
Here are a few more theme suggestions for January: Merry Midnight, Let it Snow, Brrrrr, Pajama Party, or Touchdown (think Superbowl)
A pajama party is always fun and so comfy! Ask everyone to wear their fuzzy PJs and have a contest on the best (or warmest, silliest, etc.). Serve hot cocoa with marshmallows and popcorn. But be careful…you might end up with overnight guests! lol
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Below you’ll find a recipe for Mocha Mystery Cake. This cake is so yummy and so easy! It’s been in my family for as long as I can remember. Just the perfect dessert for cold winter nights!
Mocha Mystery Cake
INGREDIENTS
Batter:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons melted margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup strong black coffee
DIRECTIONS
To make the batter, sift sugar, flour, baking powder, salt & cocoa together. Blend margarine into flour mixture until crumbly. Add milk and extracts. Stir to make the batter. Pour/spread batter into a greased 8” x 8” pan.
To make the topping, in a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over batter then pour 1 cup of strong black coffee over top. Do not mix further, just put it in the oven to bake (that’s the mystery part).
Bake 40 minutes at 350°F. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
The mystery is how the batter/cake part gets on the top and the gooey, hot fudgey, chocolatey stuff gets on the bottom!
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.