Maison de Pax blogger Rachel Paxton creates an easy holiday serving station and shares her grown-up take on a hot cocoa recipe better than we remember.

There’s nothing like a hot beverage to make your guests feel warm and welcome this holiday season, and Maison de Pax blogger Rachel Paxton has a dreamy take on a childhood favorite everyone will love.

Her farmhouse-inspired holiday bar cart makes it even more fun to serve this boozy cocoa and conveniently adds a little more serving space, which is always helpful when entertaining.

Find the full recipe and Rachel’s top tips for hosting a holiday get-together below.   

Rachel's Tips for Foolproof Holiday Entertaining  

1. Decorate Early . We all know that hosting can be a lot of work, especially with the added pressure of decorating for the holiday season. Make some time to decorate early, leaving the days just before the party free for details like food, drinks, and last minute errands.

Bonus! By decorating early, you’ll also have time to actually enjoy your holiday décor.

2.  Prep ahead of time .  I try to prepare anything and everything I can as far in advance as possible. This includes creating a playlist for the party, pulling out the serveware I'll need, and even setting the table days ahead of time. I also prep food items, like baked goods or salads, the day before.

3. Get your guests involved. Whether it’s rolling their own sushi, making their own ice cream sundaes, or simply topping their own hot cocoa, I find activities like this put guests at ease and often spark conversation.

Merry Amaretto Hot Cocoa 

• ¼ cup water

• 1 ounce of baking chocolate (plus shavings for garnish)

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ cup brandy

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

• 1 cup milk

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Hot Chocolate

In  a small sauce pan, add the water, chocolate, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt over low heat until melted and combined. Then add the vanilla extract, brandy, and ¼ cup of the amaretto liqueur. Heat through. Add the milk, but do not boil.

Whipped Cream

Add the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of amaretto liqueur to the whipping cream, and whip until stiff peaks begin to form.

Pour the hot cocoa from the pan into glasses and top with a dollop of your freshly whipped cream. Add chocolate shavings for garnish.