Tis the season for Peppermint Mocha -- #recipe and a #bookgiveaway

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Tis the season for all things chocolate and peppermint! 

Truth is, this is the only time of year when I indulge in a peppermint mocha, or any kind of mocha -- except when I was writing Peppermint Barked and was testing this recipe. In late June. In a year an unseasonable hot spell hit NW Montana and temps hit 90 or better several days in a row.

What we writers do for our readers. But we do it with love. 

In Peppermint Barked, sixth in the Spice Shop mysteries, Pepper's pal Jamie, a Market artist who adores peppermint mochas, shares her recipe for an easy at-home version. You can make it using an espresso maker and making an Americano, as I sometimes do, or regular coffee. 

Yesterday, in case you missed the news, was National Peppermint Bark Day. Who declares these things? Who cares? Here's my recipe for Pepper's Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark. I'll be making a batch later this week. 

Yesterday was also National Cookie Day. A two-fer! Christmas in the Food Lovers' Village is a magical time as well, as Erin and her friends and family discover In As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles, fifth in my Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, a friend doesn't show up for Erin's holiday cookie exchange. When Erin realizes she was making the pecan sugar cookie rolled in powdered sugar known as Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, or Snowballs, she uses her knowledge of baking to pinpoint the time of death. Here's Merrily's recipe for Russian Teacakes. 

Erin and the Villagers also celebrate the season in the short story "The Christmas Stranger," originally published in Carried to the Grave and Other Stories, and now available in a special e-book edition. Amid the holiday rush of keeping the shelves stocked and filling orders for the Merc, the grocery her family has run for more than a century, proprietor Erin Murphy treasures the way her tight-knit community of Jewel Bay seems to grow even closer during the Christmas season. And this year, when she slows down to do a simple favor for a mysterious stranger, he shows his thanks with a small, quiet gesture—a gift that changes lives, and so much more . . .

Read on and leave a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Peppermint Barked or As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles!  

Jamie’s Peppermint Mocha

Declare a holiday at home with this easy, tasty treat! 

1/2 cup milk

1 cup hot coffee

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chunks or chopped

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

whipped cream, optional

crushed peppermint candies or canes, optional (Place candy in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet.)

In a small saucepan over medium-low, heat the milk, coffee, and chocolate, stirring to melt the chocolate. Bring to a simmer, just below a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in peppermint extract and pour into a large mug. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy. 

Alternatively, if you have an espresso maker, put the chocolate in the bottom of your large mug and make a single or double espresso, using the steamer wand to make an 8 ounce Americano. Stir in the extract and make sure the chocolate is melted. Steam the milk and add it, then top with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candy. 

Makes one 12-ounce serving.

What's your favorite Christmas treat? Bonus points for creative uses of peppermint! Talk to me in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of Peppermint Barked or As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles -- reader's choice  (Leave your email address to enter. US and Canada mailing addresses only. Winner will be chosen Friday, Dec. 8.) 

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest book is Between a Wok and a Dead Place, the 7th Spice Shop mystery.  

A past president of Sisters in Crime and national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.