This is a sponsored post in collaboration with JCPenney. All thoughts are my own.

The holidays have always been a special time for my family. For as long as I can remember, celebrating Christmas was more than a one day event. When we lived near the heart of Los Angeles, we would often see and be part of nightly processions of in which two people would be dressed as Mary and Joseph, to simulate their journey from inn to inn until the night of the birth of baby Jesus. In each home, every night, carols were sung, pinatas were broken open, and families would gather together, enjoy panetone, champurrado, chocolate and more.

Now that I am older with a family of my own, we don’t get a chance to be part of the processions as much, but we try to maintain the tradition of celebrating each night with family.

For me, the very heart of it is the sharing of food and drink while just enjoying each other’s company, and, since I am a big lover of hot chocolate, my favorite thing to make for our posadas is some delicious champurrado.

Champurrado recipes are classic, but there’s a lot of lactose intolerant people in my family, so I updated it so we can all enjoy it without tummy trouble.

Lactose Free Champurrado

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup masa harina
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 disc Mexican chocolate, I prefer Abuelita (finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup piloncillo, chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk warm water and masa harina in a large pot until combined.
2. Stir in the coconut milk, chopped chocolate disc, chopped piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.
3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the piloncillo is dissolved, about 6 – 8 minutes.
4. Reduce to a low simmer and continue to heat until the mixture has thickened to the desired consistency (6-10 minutes).
5. Remove the cinnamon sticks and star anise. Serve hot in Bomba Cups.

One of the main things to do, is make sure you serve your champurrado in the shape of a traditional mexican mug, typically called a “bomba” shape. I found the perfect Bomba Mug set at JCPenney, among many other great deals to help with Los Posadas entertaining. JCPenney is my go to store for everything I need for Las Posadas, and all my other holiday needs whether it be for things to serve my delicious champurrado in, great holiday gift deals, or even to find a great outfit to wear for a Posada night. They help me continue our beloved holiday tradition by providing great products at great prices.

How do you celebrate Las Posadas in your home?