A favorite hot holiday drink from Starbucks. This mock recipe only serves one.

[edit] Ingredients

3 tablespoons powdered baking cocoa - examples tried included Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa powder
3 tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons peppermint syrup (do not use extract- you can buy a very large bottle of syrup at Starbucks for $7) or creme de menthe
4 ounces espresso
12 ounces steamed milk
whipped cream
red sugar crystals

[edit] Steps

Mix the water and the cocoa powder together to make a syrup-like mixture. Pour this into your mug.
Pour in the espresso shots. If you do not know how to make espresso, you can read on the wikiHow article, How to Make an Espresso (Espresso Coffee).
Carefully drop in the peppermint syrup. You don't want the taste to override the drink.
Get your milk steamed. Add the milk to your drink.
Top your drink with the whipped cream and sprinkle some sugar crystals around it.

Be sure that the espresso times between 18 to 23 seconds and the temperature of the milk should be under 150, 155 at the hottest. Anything over that will scorch a person's mouth. Any temperature under 140 is in the danger zone for milk causing illnesses.
Try this recipe as a cold drink by substituting steamed milk for cold milk and drop a few ice cubes in there.
Treat yourself by inserting a candy cane to make the drink more unique.