THE MOST PERFECT MINTY FINISH TO A CHRISTMAS MEAL, TOPPED WITH FLAKE CHOCOLATE!
This time of the year...I find myself more often than not on the nostalgia train. And where do we find ourselves today? Making a Tash Mashup Christmas-time classic but with a garnish that makes me feel all of the feels. I purchase the ingredients to make this every Christmas for the past few years, and this year we are mixing it up with a fabulous garnish.
The garnish in question? Well, it's a Flake bar. Yes, it's flakey chocolate but how it floats on the top, doesn't melt, and provides just the right hint of additional chocolatey goodness? This candy bar comes with so many memories of my visits back home to my grandparents in India and I love it so much!
The recipe itself only calls for 3 ingredients and indulgent, creamy cocktails have my heart this time of the year. Well, who are we kidding- at all points of the year, but a little extra during the holidays that's for sure. :) While I don't know if this is officially a designated Christmas-time cocktail, it does happen to be one for me! It's minty perfection and the color just screams IT'S STARTING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS! If you love mint chocolate chip ice cream, Andes mints, or Girl Scout Thin Mints...this one has your name all over it!
And if you've been following this series along, you know that I love simple + easy drinks that are perfect for everyone...from someone who is hosting Christmas at their home for the first time as newlyweds TO the seasoned home bartender who is looking for an after-dinner cocktail to enjoy while watching Elf! It doesn't get easier than this when this not only calls for a handful of ingredients but all of the ingredients are equal parts. That's right. 1 oz pours of the 3 ingredients and then as much Flake chocolate as your heart desires grated on top!
I'll be back next week with more recipes to ring in the new year...wow- how is it already going to be 2024? Make sure to follow along because I plan to end the year with some top-tier recipes for y'all! If you haven't subscribed yet to the blog, please do! I plan to do a lot more for my subscribers in the new year (think access to content first and custom menus for all your hosting needs) and I want you to be in the know first!
Happy holidays to you and yours - thanks for making my year brighter than ever! Cheers. :)
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INGREDIENTS
1 oz green crème de menthe
1 oz white crème de cacao
1 oz heavy cream
Flake chocolate bar (1/4 of a bar or more)
DIRECTIONS
Combine equal parts green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, and heavy cream in a cocktail shaker or large mason jar.
Add ice and shake for 20-30 seconds.
Pour into a Nick and Nora coupe glass or martini glass.
Using a grater, top with as much Flake chocolate as your heart desires! It won't sink to the bottom so you can be generous, but know that you'll get a good dose of chocolate in each sip!
~ Serves 1
Notes
Make sure to purchase white crème de cacao if you are after the green hue. There are darker versions available at the liquor store and using the white one is best for this recipe coupled with the bright green crème de menthe. :)
Speaking of crème de menthe, this green-colored liquor makes this cocktail what it is. It has a shelf life of 5 years, so if you're on the fence...this just means a lot more Flake Grasshoppers are in the cards for you!
Heavy cream produces the best results here given its fat content but you can also light heavy cream or half and half. If you wanted to make it lighter, I'd even opt for using 1/2 oz of heavy cream and then 1/2 of either a light heavy cream or half and half! Just know that the texture of your drink will alter lightly but the flavor will still be there! :)
I've seen a lot of frozen versions on the internet and while I haven't tried it myself yet, I feel like it would be fantastic! If you'd like you can take the recipe above and either mix it with 1/2 - 3/4 cup of ice in the blender to make a slush OR 3/4 cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream to make a boozy milkshake. Yum!
You can most definitely sub the Flake garnish but I find it to be a superior addition to this drink. Dark chocolate shavings would also work here but white crème de cacao has milk chocolate notes so I think it enhances the flavor of that key ingredient beautifully. Not to mention, the uniquely crumbly texture makes it easy to grate and looks gorgeous on top of your cocktail!