Give Your Go-To Milk A Festive Twist With Crushed Peppermint
Most of us are familiar with chocolate milk or even strawberry milk. But have you heard of peppermint milk?
Peppermint milk is just what it sounds like — milk that's been infused with this cool flavor. Now, while you could technically make it by mixing mint leaves, milk, and sugar, a much easier (and far more festive) way to get a similar-tasting milk is to simply stir crushed peppermint candies into a jug of milk. The candy canes will infuse your drink with that refreshing flavor and a hint of sweetness that makes for the perfect kid-friendly holiday beverage. It's also incredibly easy to make, serving as a fast recipe when you want a wintery drink but don't have time to slave away over more labor-intensive recipes such as homemade eggnog.
Before you race to the kitchen to make this drink, however, there are a few things you need to know. That way, you'll be able to create a beverage that tastes and looks delicious.
What to know about making peppermint milk
When it comes to making this drink, it pays to think about the type of milk you'll use. You can use dairy milk, whether you go for regular or chocolate milk, for instance, or you can swap it out for non-dairy varieties. For a nutty flavor in your drink, you could try making it with almond milk. Or, use coconut milk for a sweet and creamy touch. Just note that the type of milk you use will change the taste and may also affect the color of the beverage.
Speaking of the color, it's important to understand that the dye in your candy canes will infuse your drink with a light hue as well. While classic candy canes are red and white, you can also find them in colors such as green and white, blue and white, and more. Whichever you choose, that's the color that will wash out into your drink. You could even make some peppermint milk with red candy canes and another batch with green ones to serve up a multi-colored festive party platter of the drink.
Finally, another consideration when making this milk is how you'll present it. Although it's colorful on its own, you can really amp up the appearance by dipping the rim of your cup in melted milk, dark, or white chocolate and rolling it in more crushed candy canes. Then, serve up this festive beverage and bring on the holiday cheer.
Other festive milks to try
If you've already tried this peppermint milk and loved it, you can give a few other festive milks a try. One tasty drink to make is gingerbread milk, made by infusing the beverage with this warm winter spice, a bit of your preferred sweetener, and some vanilla and cinnamon. Speaking of cinnamon, you could make cinnamon milk in much the same way, omitting the ginger in the drink for a different flavor.
Another way to amp up the holiday flavor is to make sugar cookie milk, mixing sugar cookie syrup with your favorite milk. Or, you can go for more autumnal-feeling drinks by mixing pumpkin purée, pie spices, milk, and a sweetener for a pumpkin pie drink. Similarly, make maple milk using no other ingredients than your dairy drink and maple syrup for more cozy seasonal flavors. So, whether it's peppermint milk or a different spin on this beverage, there are plenty of ways to make tasty, easy, and kid-friendly drinks this holiday season.