Try P. Allen Smith's recipe for peppermint hot chocolate.

Little Rock-based gardening and lifestyle expert P. Allen Smith offers this appealing recipe for Peppermint Hot Chocolate to keep you warm.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 ½ cups of milk (or unsweetened soymilk)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • Peppermint schnapps to taste
  • Peppermint sticks to garnish

Heat sugar, milk and salt in a saucepan over a low heat. Do not boil. Add chocolate. Stir constantly until the chocolate melts.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and peppermint extract.

Divide hot chocolate between 4 cups and add an ounce or so of peppermint schnapps to each cup. Drop in a few marshmallows and a peppermint stick.

Makes four servings -- the more schnapps, the merrier!