Peppermint Hot-Chocolate

No need to rush to the nearest Starbucks for a Peppermint Hot Chocolate or Peppermint Mocha. It doesn’t have to be a rare, limited-edition holiday drink either. It’s ridiculously easy to prepare at home and I guarantee that you can enjoy several cups of the drink without stepping out of your warm house. I rarely make such promises - so trust me. 

 

Ingredients (serves 3):

1. 3 cups milk (1.5 cups of cream + 1.5 cups of milk will make it richer, but I only used 2% milk and it still turned out good)
2. ¼ cup sugar
3. a pinch of salt
4. ¾ - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
5. 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
6. 1 teaspoon peppermint extract or 3-4 drops edible peppermint oil
7. a couple of dollops of whipped cream and caramel syrup (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, and salt on medium-heat. Do not boil the milk. Wait for it to scald and steam.
2. At this point add the chocolate chips and instant coffee and stir continuously till the chocolate melts completely. The coffee brings out the chocolate flavor.
3. Add the peppermint oil or extract and remove from heat. Stir well. If you possess a small cordless whip/beater such as this handy-dandy one, vigorously whip/beat the chocolate till it froths. It’s a very useful little gadget that I got as a Christmas gift - it beautifully whips up coffee and chocolate in minutes!

Pour into mug/s, top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup and serve!

Add a little more coffee granules and you end up with Peppermint Mocha!