A classic Peppermint Patty cocktail is made from hot cocoa and a splash Peppermint liqueur, typically a peppermint schnapps. That's a time honored recipe, but you know me, I can't leave well enough alone.
I have my own special recipe for hot cocoa using the addition of a luxurious dark cocoa powder and a little spicy kick and during holidays I often use this cocoa recipe to make my version of a Peppermint Patty:
Prepare the cocoa as directed in my recipe, except leave out the chili powder and cinnamon. Add the quarter teaspoon of espresso powder and stir. Allow this to cool slightly, you want it still warm enough to drink but not so hot it could damage your glass. Pour into your cocktail glass and add your chocolate peppermint candy cane stir stick.
Don't leave out the espresso powder, you really won't taste the coffee all that much but it adds a nice accent and balance to the sweetness of the cocoa and the chocolate mint liqueur. I wanted a slight bitterness to balance the sugars, but did not want to bring the herbal qualities of chocolate bitters into play and the espresso powder worked perfectly.
