Weather: 28 degrees, steady snowfall
What I’m listening to: December, George Winston
After posting a well-loved homemade version of Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer in the fall, I received requests for homemade holiday creamers as well. So, by popular demand, I have developed a recipe for Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer (and Eggnog too… coming later this week!).
Peppermint Mocha is our very favorite holiday creamer flavor in our family. Making it at home is extremely simple (even easier than the Pumpkin Spice version). I was delighted when this recipe turned out so well. The trick is to go very easy on the peppermint extract… if you add too much your creamer will taste like toothpaste. No one wants to drink toothpaste in their coffee. Also, the “mocha” in the store-bought version has always been very subtle, so I went easy on that as well. These quantities seem so small that you may actually wonder if I wrote the recipe correctly. Trust me. Finally, I detected a little vanilla in the store-bought version, so I added a little of that, too. The only problem I have with this recipe now is that I can’t seem to keep it around the house for more than a couple days. It keeps disappearing. Must be those Christmas elves or something.
Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer
Yields: 3 cups creamer
- 3/4c water
- 3/4c sugar
- 1/2t cocoa powder
- 1/2t vanilla
- 1/4t peppermint extract
- 2c half and half
To a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water and the sugar. Stir until the mixture heats up and the sugar dissolves, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Measure 1 cup of the mixture, also known as simple syrup (save any remaining for another use or discard). To the 1 cup of simple syrup whisk in the cocoa powder (you have to do this while the simple syrup is still hot or else the cocoa will clump), followed by the vanilla and peppermint. Allow the mixture to cool 5-10 minutes and then add it to the 2c of half and half. Stir well.
Keep in a sealed container (I use a Mason jar) in the refrigerator. Use as you would store-bought coffee creamer. Shake or stir before each use as the cocoa will settle to the bottom.
