Peppermint Hot Chocolate

This is Aubri again from The Scent of Oranges and this will sadly be my last guest post with Chrissy. I am so grateful for letting me share some of my recipes on her site, but my priorities have changed recently and I am going to take a break from the blogging world:-)When I was in high school someone introduced me to Starbuck’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Holy Cow. I was obsessed. I would go there at least once a week for my newfound hot chocolate fix. Eventually I realized this wasn’t the healthiest decision I had ever made and I started rationing my consumption. Throughout the rest of high school, all of college and a few years following this remained one of my favorite treats. Once the weather cooled each year I couldn’t wait to get my first cup of hot chocolate. (I told you I was obsessed.)Well last winter my husband and I started experimenting with making our own variety of hot chocolate. I am not talking about mixing up an instant packet, but starting from scratch and seeing what combinations we could come up with. One of our creations with this decadent peppermint hot chocolate… with a few additional wonders in there as well. The almond butter gives the chocolate a richer quality and the cinnamon and nutmeg add a few extra colors to this flavor palate. My greatest two pieces of advice when making this your self are first to make this in a blender and then pour it into a mug or pan to heat it up. The cocoa powder and almond butter are really hard to mix in via spoon. Second, pour the peppermint extract slowly and over a separate container, that way if/when you spill it won’t affect your drink. I hope you enjoy this beautiful time of year and on those cold nights curl up by the fire with this glorious cup of cocoa.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

1 ½ – 2 C almond milk

3 t vanilla

1/8 t peppermint extract

1 T almond butter

1 ½ T unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ t nutmeg

¼ – ¾ t cinnamon

2 T agave, extra to taste

Pour all ingredients into blender (remember to measure peppermint away from your blender). Mix everything together and make adjustments as needed.
Pour contents into mug and microwave for approximately two minutes or until warm/hot OR pour content into a pot and simmer on the stove until the desired temperature has been reached.

* Start with only a cup and a half of milk and then add more as needed. Also the 2 T of agave is a starting base. You will need to adjust this to bet the sweet balance you prefer.