- Coffee
- 18 g
Espresso with melted chocolate, homemade fresh mint syrup, steamed milk and whipped cream with crushed candy cane on top. The most Christmassy coffee on the menu.
By Equipo Cocinoa
What you need
Tap each piece to see its catalogue entry.
- EssentialEspresso coffee makerWater to 9 bars of pressure through fine and pressed coffee. Here are the machine types, from the lever to the double boiler.€150–3500approx.View on Amazon
- RecommendedEspresso grinderElectric grinder with very fine adjustment, designed for espresso. It matters more than the machine itself.€150–700approx.View on Amazon
- RecommendedMilk jarThe steel pitcher with peak to vaporize and texturize the milk. It helps you get microfoam and draw in the cup.€10–30approx.View on Amazon
- RecommendedCazoThe oldest and most simple method: coffee and water in a bowl, rest and decantation. It serves for the puchero coffee, the cowboy coffee and even the Turkish.€10–30approx.View on Amazon
- OptionalPoultryA fine mesh strainer to separate the pores, strain the cold brew or filter cocktails. Cheap and indispensable.€3–15approx.View on Amazon
- OptionalGlass jarA glass jar with a lid serves the cold brew, to shake drinks and to save coffee. The cheapest accessory.€2–10approx.View on Amazon
- OptionalSifon of creamPressurised bottle with gas loads to mount cream at the moment or prepare a home "nitro" with cold brew.€30–60approx.View on Amazon
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No Espresso coffee maker? This works too
- Italian coffee maker (moka)€20–60The life-long stove coffee maker: the steam pushes the water through the coffee. Intense, with body and very cheap.
- AeroPress€35–55A plastic cylinder with plunger: immersion and a soft pressure. Versatile, resistant and almost unbreakable. Ideal for travel.
- Portable espresso€130–350Hand and compact equipment, type Picopresso or Flair, that reach the pressure of the espresso without electricity. To travel or to begin.
Method
Heat 100 ml of water with the sugar until it boils and the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat, add the mint leaves, cover and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
20 min
Strain the syrup, pressing the leaves lightly with a spoon, and let it cool a little. You will get about 150 ml.
Whip the well-chilled cream with the icing sugar, if using, until it forms soft peaks, and keep it in the fridge.
Put the candy canes in a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin until you have small pieces and a little powder.
Divide the chocolate between four warmed mugs, make a double espresso over each (see the ‘Espresso’ recipe) and stir until it melts. Add 25 ml of mint syrup per mug, or a drop of extract and sugar to taste.
Steam the milk in two batches, about 180 ml per mug, to 60–65 °C with little foam, and pour it over the coffee.
Top with a generous spoonful of cream, scatter over the crushed candy cane and serve straight away, before it melts.
Tips and warnings
The peppermint mocha is one of the most popular winter coffees in cafés in the United States and the UK, and it tastes of the red and white candy canes hung on the Christmas tree. It suits a December afternoon or the lull after Christmas lunch.
- Plan for guests: the fresh mint syrup keeps for 1 week in the fridge in a clean jar; the cream can be whipped up to 2 hours ahead; keep the crushed candy cane in a well-sealed jar, as it turns sticky in damp air.
- Peppermint or spearmint: peppermint gives that candy-cane flavour; spearmint is milder and sweeter. If spearmint is all you can find, a drop of extract in each cup boosts the flavour.
- With extract, less is more: two drops already taste of toothpaste.
- Don't boil the leaves: they darken and taste of stewed grass.
- Check the labels on the chocolate and the sweets if there are allergies or intolerances.
- No candy canes? Crushed hard mint sweets will do.
- No machine? A short coffee from a moka pot, about 60 ml per cup.
One last thing
Chocolate, mint and crunchy candy cane: you can't fit more Christmas in a mug. If it made you smile, hang a ko‑fi on our tree.