Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipes are one of our most cherished traditions. Passed down from one generation to next, they conjure up memories of holiday preparations or time spent with a favorite relative. Cooking provides a quiet time to pass on wisdom of family lore.

Ingredients: 4 cups whole milk 4 ounces Mexican chocolate such as Ibarra or 3 ½ ounces semi-sweet chocolate plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon 4 tablespoons sugar Pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla, preferably Mexican 2 eggs

1. In a medium sized saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until scalding.

2. Break chocolate into pieces. Add to hot milk along with sugar and salt. Stir until melted. Beat with a wire whisk until frothy.

3. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue to whisk.

4. Pour into 4 mugs. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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SNOWMAN PUNCH

Stir up a pint of ice cream - vanilla, peppermint, mint, adding a little milk to thin it. Scoop it into snowcone cups or other festive ware. Disposable plastic Christmas ware is great for little elves!

Variation: Add green creme de menthe flavoring, non-alcoholic.

SPICY CRANBERRY PUNCH

1/2 cup red cinnamon candies 4 C. water 8 C. cranberry juice cocktail, chilled 6 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate 6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate

In small pan, melt candies in water; chill. At serving time, combine candy liquid and fruit juices in punch bowl. Stir to dissolve. Makes 18, 5-oz. cups.

WASSAIL BOWL

Whole cloves 1 large orange 2 qts. apple juice or cider 3 T. lemon juice 4 cinnamon sticks Heat oven to 350. Insert cloves into orange. Place in shallow baking pan and bake at 350 for 30 mins. Pierce orange in several places with tines for a fork.

In large saucepan, combine apple and lemon juice, cinnamon sticks and baked orange. Cover; simmer over low heat 30 mins. Remove sticks and orange. Pour into heatproof punch bowl. If desired, float orange in bowl. Serve [safely] hot. Makes 16, 4 oz. servings.

CRANBERRY "CHAMPAGNE" FOR CHRISTMAS CERUBS

Combine 2 well-chilled 750-ml. bottles non-alcoholic sparkling cider with 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail or to taste.

ELF WARMER

1 qt. vanilla ice cream 3 sticks margarine 1 box brown sugar nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice Combine and keep in freezer. At serving time, put 1 heaping T. scoop into a mug, add hot water (to taste) and heat.

SANTA-RED PUNCH

4 cups water 3 cups sugar 2 small packages of red Jello l large can pineapple juice 1 bottle of almond extract Serves 25-30.

EVERGEEN PUNCH

2 pkgs. unsweetened lemon-lime Koolaid 2 cups sugar 2 qts. water 1, 46-oz. can pineapple juice 1 quart gingerale

Dissolve sugar and koolaid. Add pineapple juice and chill. Add gingerale at serving time. Good too if you freeze it for a while until it's slushy. Then call it Santa Slush. Serves 36.

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