As soon as October approaches, the holiday season starts creeping upon the people in United States, and the weather turns to mildly chilly with occasional bouts of sunshine. And right now, Autumn is shining upon us in full glory on this northern coast of California. I love Fall, because it’s neither too cold nor too warm, and this is the best weather to enjoy chilled Frappuccinos or heart-warming Cappuccinos, depending upon the weather outside! One of my fondest memories associated with Cappuccinos is the Hot Latte that I had in a small coffee shop in Rome. It was not overly creamy, and yet had the perfect balance of sweet, creamy and full of coffee flavor, just how a Latte or Cappuccino should be.
Last week I received an invitation from Kahlua to try their new Holiday flavors. So when I was shopping for groceries, I picked up a bottle of their 2 holiday flavors, Pumpkin Spice, which I used to create my Grown-Up Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes, and the Kahlua Peppermint Mocha flavor, which I used to create the recipe below. I was really confused on how to name my concoction, because I basically combined all my favorite ingredients – Coffee, Chocolate, heavy cream and Peppermint to create my Cappuccinos, and just to make it extra-special (and also because it was a lovely Autumn day outside), I added some whipped cream to my drinks. As the heavy cream melted slowly, it created a beautiful play of white on brown. We took our Peppermint Chocolate Lattes outside and enjoyed them in the backyard, while the kids enjoyed some ice cream.
- ½ cup espresso or coffee
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup semisweet dark chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp Kahlua liqueur (Peppermint Mocha flavor)
- ice cream or whipped cream (chilled)
- Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Add the chocolate chips and coffee to it and stir until everything dissolves.
- Remove from heat and add the Kahlua liqueur.
- Serve it in glasses or cups. Then top with some chilled heavy whipped cream and serve immediately. you can even use half a scoop of ice cream on the top instead of whipped cream.
Made with espresso, chocolate, milk and Kahlua liqueur in peppermint flavor, this hot & cold mocha beverage is the perfect Holiday treat during the Fall and Winter seasons. But you could easily enjoy it anytime of the year. I bet it would taste great with hazelnut or french vanilla flavors too. And top it with some ice cream instead of whipped cream for an extra-indulgent treat.
I have a few more Kahlua posts lined up, as I try new recipes and entertaining ideas for the upcoming holiday season!
To get inspiration for more great recipes and entertaining ideas with Kahlúa and for a chance to win the ultimate holiday party, please visit www.kahluaholiday.com.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kahlúa. The opinions and text are all mine.
