Cheers!

In case you’ve missed it, the holidays are here. I’m starting to plan out my menu and drink list for a party I’ll be having for family and friends and am getting really festive this year with incorporating peppermint in the theme for my party. Focusing on a drink menu has probably been the most exciting for me since I wanted to experiment with fun ideas. I’ve seen a lot of pictures with peppermint lined martini glasses, and thought this would be cute to recreate.

I’m a big fan of trying out drinks before they are served, so last night I attempted the chocolate lined martini glass. The first time I did this, I felt like it was a mess and the chocolate easily came off the glass. I remembered a magic shell recipe that had coconut oil and chocolate in it that would harden instantly when placed on ice cream. This sparked my idea to fix the problem of dripping chocolate. I added coconut oil into my chocolate mixture and then refrigerated the glass for about 5 minutes. You can also chill the glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes before dipping it into the chocolate mixture.

This did the trick! The peppermint pieces stuck to the chocolate perfectly and had a hard consistency so there was no room for chocolate dripping off the martini glass. I chose white chocolate for my drinks, but feel free to use milk or dark chocolate, depending on your preference. Here’s a recipe for a mint chocolate dream and peppermint martini that will be the perfect addition to your holidays!

Lining the Martini Glass

Ingredients

½ cup white or dark chocolate

1 teaspoon Kelapo Coconut Oil

2 candy canes, crushed

Directions

1. Place chocolate and coconut oil into a bowl. Microwave from 1 minute, stir, and microwave for another 20 seconds repeatedly until melted.
2. Pour chocolate onto a paper plate and spread out just enough to fit the width of your martini glass.
3. Place crushed candy canes onto a separate paper plate or parchment paper.
4. Dip martini glass into chocolate, coat well, and roll the rim into the candy canes.
5. Set right-side up and place into the refrigerator for 5 minutes to harden.

Mint Chocolate Dream

Ingredients

1/3 oz peppermint schnapps

1/3 oz Godiva chocolate liqueur, white or dark

1/3 oz Bailey’s Irish cream

1/3 oz cold milk

Directions

1. Pour the peppermint schnapps, Godiva liqueur and Bailey’s Irish cream into martini glass.
2. Fill with ice cold milk, and serve.

Peppermint Martini

Ingredients

1 ¼ ounces peppermint vodka

1 ¼ ounces white crème de cacao

Garnish – peppermint candy or candy cane

 Directions

1. Place peppermint vodka, and crème de cacao in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
2. Strain into martini glass, add in peppermint, and serve.

I was able to come across a limited edition peppermint vodka, but if you’re not able to find one, feel free to use regular or vanilla vodka. You can also infuse your regular vodka by adding in candy canes and storing it for a few days before use. To make a kid friendly version, line the rim of a mug and pour hot chocolate into it for children to enjoy, or even make them a martini glass with chocolate milk. Try making my peppermint bark for an added treat!

Another fun idea that is great for the holidays is champagne with pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate seeds actually float around in the champagne, giving off a festive effect. This would be perfect rimmed with dark chocolate and crystal sprinkles.

Enjoy and drink responsibly.

-Kayla