There is nothing better than holding a steamy cup of hot chocolate when the temperatures drop. Well, there is one thing that's better—spiked hot chocolate. When we set out to make the ultimate winter drink, we had a few specific requirements. The first is that it must be easy to make in a flash; secondly, it must be warming from the inside out. Finally, it had to taste better than just plain hot chocolate. That being said, the Wide Open Eats Test Kitchen presents to you our favorite new winter drink. Meet the Southern Peppermint Patty.
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While we do love our Spicy Red Wine Hot Chocolate and a cup of white hot chocolate is delicious, we wanted a boozy hot cocoa that wasn't too difficult to make at home. By using prepared hot chocolate mix with hot water, the only ingredients you need for this recipe are Sugarlands' Mint Condition Peppermint Moonshine and the Dark Chocolate Coffee Sippin' Cream. Of course you know how to make a boozy hot chocolate, but did you ever think to add a coffee flavor to it?
Most would use Peppermint Schnapps in place of Peppermint Moonshine, but it's that switch that makes this drink inherently Southern to us. And who could forget the whipped cream? We used Cool Whip because it melts into a tasty cream that makes the drink even better. You can skip the candy topping, but who can deny chocolate mints on top of peppermint hot chocolate?
Find the full Southern Peppermint Patty recipe here.
If you want to make your own homemade hot chocolate, here is our favorite Creamy Homemade Hot Chocolate recipe.
Ingredients
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2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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1 cup granulated sugar
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1/3 cup brown sugar
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1/4 tsp salt
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1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
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2/3 cup water
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6 cups milk
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1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
In a medium saucepan (4 quarts or larger), whisk together the cocoa powder, sugars, salt, cayenne pepper, and water. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil on the stovetop. Simmer at a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Slowly, add in the milk and the vanilla extract and stir until combined over medium-low heat. Don't bring to a boil again; instead store the hot chocolate in a slow cooker on a low warming setting if keeping out.
To find Sugarlands Distilling Co. products in a store near you, head on over to their locator search.
