Around Christmas time, I tend to have a surplus of peppermint candy canes lying around. They also last well into the new year because they keep very well (and go on sale after the holidays!). I like this about candy canes because if you’re a fan of peppermint, they make fantastic coffee stirs and it’s nice to have them around to infuse a little flavor into an otherwise plain cup of coffee.

This Double Chocolate Peppermint Mocha - inspired by the various peppermint-infused drinks I’ve had from coffee shops this season - is far from plain, however. It is a rich, creamy hot chocolate made with both dark and white chocolate. Milky white chocolate really adds a creaminess to the drink, while the dark chocolate makes for a very deep chocolate flavor. Truthfully, I rarely measure out any of the ingredients when I’m going to make up a batch of this drink. I just add a bit of white chocolate, a bit of dark chocolate and add more if I feel I need to. I recommend adopting the same strategy so you can make this at a moment’s notice, but use the recipe below as a jumping off point. Don’t forget to use the candy cane as a stirring stick to really infuse that peppermint flavor. It also adds some extra sweetness to the mocha, and most candy canes have a better flavor than simply adding in peppermint extract.

I garnish this with whipped cream and crushed peppermint, but a candy cane alone is a nice touch. A mini candy cane makes a cute garnish as well, especially if you want to double or triple the recipe for a bigger crowd.
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I like eggnog, but I’m not a big fan of most store-bought eggnogs, even “organic” ‘nogs from natural foods stores. I find that many of them have an overly strong nutmeg flavor, and others are so thick that they verge on being pudding. I like eggnog to be light and refreshing, with flavor from all the ingredients in it. Eggnog is made from milk and eggs. It is lightly sweetened and flavored with (usually) vanilla and nutmeg. You can drink it plain or make it boozy and warming by adding in some brandy.

My favorite eggnog is an uncooked eggnog, which can be made with pasteurized eggs - not eggs from a carton, but eggs pasteurized in-shell - or regular eggs. It’s quick, easy and has the flavor I’m looking for. But to avoid any salmonella risk, or to make a big batch in advance for a party, I also make a cooked eggnog. This ‘nog is the same recipe, but I put it on the stovetop and bring the temperature up to 160F, which is just high enough to kill off any bacteria that might be in there. I chill it for several hours before serving.

I like to use low fat milk for eggnog because I like the consistency that the eggnog has when it is finished, a good balance of light and creamy. You can use nonfat or whole milk in this recipe if you prefer. Freshly grated nutmeg will give you the best results in this recipe. If you need to use preground, you may find that you need to add more to get enough nutmeg flavor. Either way, feel free to add or subtract from the amount of nutmeg given to suit your individual tastes.

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Once you’ve made some Spiced Apple Cider, or if you simply happen to have a bottle of storebought cider in the back of the fridge, it is a snap to make one of my favorite wintertime drinks, Caramel Apple Cider. I was first turned onto this drink on a visit to Starbucks, where it is generally available year-round but is often featured on the menu boards during the winter. The drink seems to retain heat much better than just about anything else, so not only does it taste great, but it keeps your hands warm when it is snowy outside!

The Starbucks version of this drink is made by steaming apple cider until it is very hot, then adding caramel and whipped cream. I start mine with homemade cider and heat it up in a saucepan if I am going to be serving a crowd and in a mug in the microwave if I’m only serving myself. Once the cider is steaming hot, stir in about 1 1/2 tbsp caramel sauce, then add whipped cream and another drizzle of caramel. Use any kind of caramel for this drink, whether it’s homemade sauce or your favorite topping brand - I’ve even melted solid caramels into it in a pinch and it turned out very well. I often add a very small pinch of salt to the caramel on top for that salted caramel effect, too.

The sweetness of the caramel highlights the sweetness of the apples in the cider, while the whipped cream on top is a nice, cool contrast to the steamy beverage below. And the caramel on top? Why, that’s just an excuse to eat even more caramel. As though I needed one.
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I generally like my milkshakes in classic flavors like vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, with the former two being slightly favored over the latter. When you have a really good milkshake, these flavors really shine. But as with all things, variety is nice, too, and as good as a plain vanilla milkshake is, it’s nice to be able to dress it up a bit with other flavors from time to time. This particular milkshake was inspired by a melted peanut butter cup - recently purchased and apparently sitting in a sunny spot in the car on the way home from the market. I considered popping it in the fridge to firm up, but ended up tossing it into the blender and turning it into a milkshake.

This milkshake isn’t super thick, nor is it so intensely flavored that you have to stop drinking after three or four sips. It is cool and refreshing, with just enough peanut butter and chocolate that you know what you’re tasting. It has a little bit more peanut butter flavor than chocolate, much like a peanut butter cup. The actual peanut butter cup called for in the recipe is a nice touch (whether yours is melted, like mine, or not) but is optional. If you prefer your milkshakes to be very thick, add an extra scoop of ice cream and even a few ice cubes, if necessary.
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I always like to plant a little mint in my garden because it’s easy to grow (gives me confidence with some of the trickier plants), smells great and is perfect for making mojitos. Mojitos are one of my favorite summertime drinks. They’re easy to make with just a few ingredients that can be put together by hand, and the combination of fresh mint and fresh lime juice is incredibly refreshing.

Mojitos are start by muddling - or mashing - mint leaves and sugar at the bottom of a cocktail glass to release their natural oils. Fresh lime juice and rum are added to the mixture, then the cocktail is topped off with club soda. Like other cocktails, it’s fun to dress up the classic every once in a while with a little twist. In this case, I put a raspberry twist on my mojito. I added fresh raspberries to the sugar and mint leaves at the bottom of the glass and muddled them all together before adding the liquids. This added a little extra sweet fruitiness (and a lot of color), without losing any of the refreshing elements of the classic.

Sometimes, I will use a bigger glass and increase the amount of club soda in the drink so that I have something I can sip for a long time on a hot afternoon (usually a better option than having multiple drinks!). If you want to make a nonalcoholic version of this drink, I would recommend using either lime-flavored sparkling water or a soda like sprite in place of the club soda. The lime sparkling water would be my first choice, since it’s not too sweet. Either option will add some extra flavor to the drink that you lose when you omit the rum.

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An Orange Julius is a frothy cold orange juice drink that tastes kind of like a creamsicle, except much lighter and much better. The company that makes them - also named Orange Julius - has been making these drinks since 1926. I remember getting so excited when I was a little kid and saw an Orange Julius stand. Absolutely nothing was more refreshing on a hot day. These days, O.J. is owned by Dairy Queen and, for whatever reason, there really aren’t any in my area anymore. So when I want one, I make up a batch at home using fresh orange juice.

The first time I made an Orange Julius at home was four years ago, almost to the day. At the time, I used a recipe from a Top Secret Recipes book, but I ended up tweaking it just a bit over time to get the exact consistency I want. The changes are very minor because the recipe is very simple: orange juice, water, sugar, egg white, vanilla and ice. Fresh orange juice is the key to getting the best flavor possible, so use it if you can. The egg is the key to the drink’s consistency. I still use a whole egg white in mine, but any pasturised egg white product will give you the frothiness that makes the drink unique.

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