30 Days of Christmas: Peppermint Mocha

I eagerly await the Starbucks red cups and special christmas flavours every year. My first brush with these Christmas specials was in New York, maybe ten years back. At the time, and ever since, my favourite Christmas drink is peppermint mocha. Alas, starbucks took it off their Christmas menu a few years back. What's more - they don't even stock mint syrup in India so you can't even order it a la carte as you can in New York.

Which is why I am telling you how to make your own. First step, make a chocolate syrup. In a small saucepan, mix 1 tbsp each of cocoa powder and brown sugar. Add 1/4 cup water and cook on a low heat, stirring constantly, until you have a thick syrup. Remove from heat and add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract. If you want to skip syrup making, get a tbsp of Hershey's syrup and add mint extract.

Next, make a shot of espresso in your coffee machine or moka pot. Drip coffee will do in a pinch, but avoid instant if you can. In a separate saucepan, heat 1/3 cup milk to a boil, then foam it whatever way you prefer. I use this milk foaming stick but stick blenders or fancy coffee machine foamers all work.

In a tall cup, pour your syrup. Swirl a bit to coat the sides of the cup. Add the shot of espresso and finally the foamed milk. Top with crushed peppermint candies and/or fairy dust (red and green sparkles).

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