Enjoying Electric Fireplaces

New electric fireplaces can be great focal points at casual parties and dinners. Use your new fireplace as inspiration and invite your friends over for rich hot chocolate, toasted s'mores, and hot apple cider. Decorate with fake snow, paper snowflakes, and white flower arrangements and you can have yourself a charming winter party, even in the dead of summer.

Electric Fireplaces - S'mores

Because electric fireplaces only generate as much heat as a space heater, toasting marshmallows could take a very long time. Instead, use your broiler or gas stove to avoid getting marshmallow gunk on your electric wiring.

* Marshmallows
* Flat chocolate bars (dark or milk)
* Graham crackers

Toast your marshmallows by threading them on a metal skewer with a plastic handle and turning them over your gas burner or by lining a cookie sheet with foil and broiling them until both sides are golden brown, turning once. This procedure keeps electric fireplaces clean.

Sandwich your marshmallows with a piece of chocolate between two graham crackers while the mallow is still hot, so that the chocolate melts a bit. Best enjoyed in front of electric fireplaces.

You can spread your graham crackers with peanut butter before making your sandwich or use chocolate grahams for variation.

Perfect Hot Cocoa

You can enjoy this cocoa even without an electric fireplace. This version is more time consuming than your powder variety, but oh, so good.

* Whole milk
* Heavy whipping cream
* Bittersweet chocolate
* Sweetener (raw sugar, honey, or maple syrup)
* Cinnamon

You can let each guest concoct his or her own cocoa blend or prepare it ahead of time. Place small chucks of bittersweet chocolate in a mug. Add your sweetener of choice to the cup. Heat your milk (about 1 to 1 ½ cups per serving) over medium heat until it just begins to boil, stirring often.

While milk is heating, whip your heavy whipping cream with a touch of cinnamon until stiff peaks form. You can add sugar to the whipped cream if you would like, but there should be enough in the cocoa.

Pour hot milk over chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted. Top with whipped cream and serve.

Mulled Apple Cider

This treat will make your whole house smell delicious.

* Good quality apple cider or juice
* Cinnamon stick
* Whole cloves (between 6 and 10)
* Orange

You can push the cloves into the orange or just combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes and serve warm in front of your electric fireplace.

By: Lisa Becker

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Lisa Becker is an avid home decorator and writes for Fireplace Mantels 123: Shop For Your Perfect Fireplace Mantel and Surround. Her expertise regarding fireplace mantels and surrounds provides insight into the world of interior design and home decorating. For the rest of the article, check out Fireplace Mantel Ideas and Buying Guide.