Mayan Mocha Mocktail

Spicy coffee and chocolate isn't as crazy as it sounds. Give it a try! It's the perfect drink for two lovers to share on a cold snowy night. Surprise your sweetie with this treat on Valentine's Day to spice up an otherwise dull romance. But be careful, a little spice goes a long way! This recipe makes enough for two large mugs.

You will need:

2 cups milk
1/2 cup boiling water
2 TB instant coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Add 1/2 cup boiling water to 2 TB instant coffee. Let stand a few minutes.

Add milk and coffee together in a medium saucepan.

Add your cocoa and stir until somewhat dissolved. It will dissolve better once it heats.

Add sugar and stir until dissolved.

Add your cinnamon and cayenne. A note on the cayenne- I used a generous pinch which was good for me, but my husband found it to be too spicy. He thinks Tobasco is too spicy! Acknowledge your tolerance and go from there. Taste as you go to make sure you have enough.
Add your cinnamon the same way. Some might find too much to be overpowering, others might like more. I used 1/2 teaspoon and it was pretty strong. You may want more or less.

Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Heat mocha until very warm but not hot. Nothing tastes worse than burnt chocolate!

Garnish, sip and enjoy! Let the Mayan magic warm you and your love bird through the cold winter night!
I garnished mine with some dehydrated cherry bomb peppers we had but you could use whipped cream, chocolate curls, cocoa sprinkled on top, etc.