Name: Mug O' Minty Hot Chocolate
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 4 cups whole milk or low-fat milk; 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine; 1 tablespoon cocoa powder; 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract; Whipped cream; 8 small candy canes

Why This Recipe Works

Mint lends complexity to and cuts the sweetness of one-dimensional chocolate. We wanted to apply this principle to our Mug O’ Minty Hot Chocolate recipe. Once the hot chocolate was blended and heated through, we added peppermint extract to preserve its intense flavor. A garnish of candy canes was the perfect finishing touch to our Mug O’ Minty Hot Chocolate.

Before You Begin

This recipe can be doubled to serve a crowd.

Instructions

Bring milk just to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and whisk in chocolate and cocoa powder until chocolate is melted and cocoa powder is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract. Pour into 4 mugs and garnish each mug with whipped cream and 2 candy cane stirrers.