One not-so-unlikely pairing that is an absolute treat during the coldest months of the year is gingerbread and hot chocolate.

Nothing says Christmas quite like the cozy, aromatic flavors of gingerbread. Combine that with rich, creamy hot chocolate, ...

If you want something a bit different, add both cocoa powder and melted bittersweet chocolate to the gingerbread dough. Or else try making sandwich cookies with a creamy mascarpone filling.