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Baby, it's Cold Outside: Time for a Peppermint Mocha!
 And you don't even have to leave the warm and cozy comfort of your home to go get it at your favorite coffee shop, because you can make it yourself in your comfy cozy kitchen. I have visited this idea before, but the recipe I shared then is only useful if you have these hot chocolate pods handy. I didn't have any today, but I was seriously in the mood for a good peppermint mocha, so I had to come up with a different method. There are essentially four elements necessary to create a peppermint mocha: peppermint flavor chocolate flavor coffee or espresso milk The coffee and milk are easy, no problem there. Peppermint and chocolate are a little trickier! Once (a long time ago) I tried just putting a little dash of peppermint extract in my coffee. YUCK! That was NOT a successful experiment. Since then, I've seen recipes online that call for exactly that, but I can't bring myself to try them because that awful taste is still in my mouth. I personally think that the peppermint extract (like vanilla extract) needs a "carrier": something that will deliver the flavor without the yuck factor. Also, like vanilla extract and medicine, it needs a little sugar to help it go down. Enter Peppermint Simple Syrup. That's the easiest way to get a deliciously sweet peppermint flavor without the overpowering sensation of heavy-duty mint. In order to make your peppermint mocha, you'll need a little peppermint syrup. But don't worry; it's not hard and it won't take long! And the good thing is, you can use this syrup in any hot or cold drink that could use a little extra holiday flavor: hot chocolate, hot tea, ginger ale, club soda, etc. etc.. By the way, simple syrup is essentially made of equal parts sugar and water. I like to use raw sugar, but you can use any kind (except powdered). I also cheat sometimes and use less sugar, just because that's how I roll. Peppermint Simple Syrup 1 cup raw sugar 1 cup water 1 tsp peppermint extract Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and add peppermint extract; simmer for at least 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Simple, huh? And now that you have your simple syrup, you can continue with your main task, Peppermint Mocha. I've given you both stove-top and microwave instructions below, so you can choose your preferred method. Stove-top is green and microwave is red.  Simple Peppermint Mocha 2 TBSP peppermint syrup 3 TBSP cocoa 3 TBSP water 1 cup strong coffee or espresso 1 cup milk Stir together cocoa and water in a small saucepan {in a glass microwaveable 2-cup measuring cup} until a paste forms. Add milk and bring to a simmer (not a boil) {microwave approximately 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir}; simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat {from microwave}. Add coffee or espresso and peppermint syrup. Add more syrup to taste. Pour into two small mugs or one very large mug. Top with whipped cream if desired, and/or crushed peppermint candy or candy cane.  Once you have the simple syrup made, it's a very QUICK process. And if you make one cup's worth of simple syrup, you will have enough for quite a few more servings of peppermint mocha, saving time in the days to come when you get really crazy with the holidays. It's EASY, no question! (That's why they call it "simple"!) It's certainly CHEAPer than buying it at a coffee shop! I think it's also cheaper than other methods, which call for gourmet syrups, or packages of instant hot chocolate and other things. This recipe uses very basic ingredients that most people already have in their pantry. It's probably the HEALTHY-est version of peppermint mocha you will find anywhere. To be honest, in the past I've made it with a package of instant hot chocolate, and a candy cane or peppermint candy. Not healthy! Basic ingredients are not only cheaper; they're also usually much healthier. Did you like the mug and saucer set in my pictures? You can find them for yourself (or one for a friend) at Dayspring. They are only $12.99; a great price for a great gift! Dayspring has an entire line of additional dishes, and even kitchen accessories, in the same design, priced from $9.99 to $19.99. Some pieces are on sale right now, so check them out! Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 
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