Chocolate Peppermint Syrup, Oh Yes!

Our daycare provider shares my love of all things peppermint chocolate flavored. I love to pamper her with the occasional unexpected treat, as she is so wonderful to my girls when I have to work. So of course I thought of her when Rachel from Southern Fairytale shared her fabulous hot chocolate recipe with me. So much more frugal (and made with love!) to bring this yummy treat occasionally when I pick up the girls.

When I was considering ideas for homemade gifts this holiday season, the hot chocolate mix immediately came to mind. Who doesn't like decadently delicious hot chocolate this time of year, anyway?

Then I read Amy's peppermint mocha recipe that I had been seeing all over twitter and pinterest. Not only was it genius, but buried in there was the super simple idea of making peppermint syrup! I had to make some right away. As I was stirring my syrup and checking to see if I had the right amount of mint extract, it hit me - how fabulous would it be to stir in some hot chocolate mix to the still hot mint syrup? That was my own genius moment, as it was as spectacular as I'd imagined. Many thanks to Rachel and Amy for providing two delicious recipes that were a match made in heaven.

If you'd like to make this yourself, follow Amy's directions for peppermint syrup (all the way at the bottom of her post), and then after the syrup is finished and still hot, whisk in hot chocolate mix to taste. Refrigerate and enjoy as chocolate mint milk, hot minty chocolate or a peppermint mocha!