Hot Cocoa Charcuterie Board Anyone? A December Staple! 🍫 

The Christmas spirit is slowly setting in as the days get colder and the streets put on their red and gold paraphernalia. There is nothing better than those weeks before Christmas, am I right? It is the perfect occasion to organize the coziest and most festive activities with your friends and family. Date night at the ice rink, gingerbread house afternoon, cookie baking session… I mean who doesn’t like December? Even the Grinch ends up changing his mind when faced with undeniable proof of Christmas magic! Today, the Picta team is bringing you another dose of seasonal fun with your new favorite Christmas activity or the best way to embrace some cottage-core vibes this December: a hot cocoa charcuterie board movie afternoon! 🍫

Is there something that screams Christmas more than steaming unctuous hot cocoa topped with a dollop of cream and marshmallows? We don’t think so! It is for a good reason that the most famous scene of The Polar Express is the one with the crazy dancers serving piping hot chocolate to all the over-excited kids in their PJs - everybody LOVES hot cocoa when Christmas comes to town. Imagine spending the afternoon with your best friends, drinking chocolatey goodness, nibbling on sugar cookies, and watching The Polar Express… Oh wow doesn’t that sound heavenly?😍 So hop on the Picta Express for all the hot cocoa tips & tricks!

It’s a Polar Express & Hot Cocoa Kinda Mood

Date is set, plans are made: your friends are coming over for the best movie afternoon of the season this Saturday! We bet you want to “Wow” them and show that Martha Stewart has nothing on you? Then you’ve come to the right place - we have compiled the best advice for your afternoon to be absolutely memorable!

Setting Things Straight With our Chocolate

There is an elephant in the room in this article, a question that has been asked so many times over the years that it is probably as old as Santa himself: is there a difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa? Such a mystery, such a complex contemporary topic, such a source of societal cleavage… Okay, too much. But fact is, it’s a very real question when hot drink season comes to play. And the answer is: it depends. For chocolate professional, there is a subtle difference: hot cocoa is typically made with cocoa powder and hot chocolate with solid chocolate directly. BUT, for all of us mortals who do not have the chance of working in Wonka’s chocolate factory, hot cocoa and hot chocolate are used interchangeably! 🥳

A Much Needed Sugar Explosion

Now that everything is clear in terms of vocabulary (we didn’t want to leave all the knowledge-hungry Rory Gilmores on the sideline here), let’s jump into the ultimate chocolate guide for your charcuterie board to “sleigh”! Here’s all that should be on your festive charcuterie board to allow your friends to DIY the best hot cocoa of their lives:

• The milky way🥛: it goes without saying that you’ll need the creaminess of milk for a true hot cocoa. Cow milk, oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, you do you, but don’t skip this step because hot water cocoa doesn’t hit the same (trust us, they used milk on the Polar Express)!
• Cocoa powder: duh, what’s hot cocoa without high quality cocoa powder? There are so many different versions out there so get a little mix for your friends to have the luxury of choice!
• Get your chocolate on🍫 : dark, milk, or white, the key to make your drink taste richer and stronger is to add some real chocolate to it! Once you start adding those big fat chunks, you never go back!
• Fluffy marshmallows: team mini or team full size? Whatever you decide, marshmallows are an absolute staple of your hot cocoa board! Their fluffinesss will upgrade your drink to an unmatched level of sweetness and decadence.
• Fancy cream: a regal topping - THE whipped cream! Little tip: if you have time, make it yourself! It tastes so much tastier, thicker, and fancier than than the store-bought one but super easy to do to impress your friends.
• Cutsy toppings: crushed hazelnuts, chocolate chips, biscoff biscuits chunks, etc, you can go crazy with those toppings putting the final touch on your hot cocoa!
• The biscuit frenzy🍪: what is a hot cocoa bar without some snacks to eat alongside your favorite hot drink? To fully embrace the Christmas vibe we recommend some chewy chocolate chip cookies, buttery shortbreads, and homemade sugar cookies! This will make your friends feel like they just stepped in a sugar winter wonderland once they step through your front door!

The Perfect Set-Up

Now that drinks and food are secured, the trick is to arrange them nicely on wooden boards (kitchen chopping boards = life savers here) for a trendy appearance. In order to enjoy your chocolatey Polar Express experience to the fullest, display everything on the coffee table in front of your TV for easy access during the movie. Then pack your couch with fuzzy blankets and fluffy pillows to make sure you’re all as comfy as possible! And finally, press play and relax in front of the best Christmas movie on record: The Polar Express!❄️

A Little Souvenir

Do you want a little tip to make your afternoon even more memorable? We know you do! Don’t be camera shy and take pics of this hot cocoa Polar Express extravaganza to get your friends a Picta photo souvenir! You can create a personalized Polar Express themed card thanks to our cool design or some simple prints capturing this very special time. And because at Picta we like it fast, your little gift will be ready for same-day pickup at your local Walgreens! Here you go, you’ll be the favorite one of the group!😉