Mrs Cropley’s Costa Copy - The After Eight One!

[Horsewhisper]

Hello everyone, I hope you have enjoyed your weekend and maybe in some sunshine?🌞

As promised, here is the minty hot chocolate for you to all to enjoy! An excuse to trip down memory lane and to buy some chocky that was launched in the 60’s and still going strong today! It reminded me of when I was a kid in the 70’s and thinking that my folks were posh when they trotted out these minty confections at dinner parties!

So, I infused a big bunch of fresh mint leaves into a pan of local farm while milk and let it gently simmer for 15 mins. I left it to cool for an hour and then squeezed the mint leaves through a sieve into the warm minty flavoured milk. I used fresh mint as it has such a distinct, smooth flavour and it provides a good baseline of minty-ness before adding the more powerful flavour of peppermint extract. I then brought it back up to nearly boiling and added in 3 heaped teaspoons of Cadbury’s Hot Chocolate powder and 3 heaped teaspoons of my cupboard staple, 100% organic cocoa powder, for an intense chocolatey boost. I gave it a bit of a whisk, added a drop of peppermint extract, swirled it around a bit more, then poured it into the glasses. Finished it off with some squirty cream, shavings of 70% dark chocolate and garnished it with some mint “Matchmakers” sticking out of the cream and of course, some “After Eight Mints”. It was a pretty intense, minty, chocolatey indulgent drinky-snack and it was all gone in a flash!

As the festive season is approaching, I’ll look at doing an Egg Nog Latte and a Gingerbread Latte - the kids have asked me to make a “Mince Pie Latte” so will go all-out Cropley-style with that one!! Watch this space for more Cropley Costa Creations! Have a good week! 🌱🍃🍫 🥛😘🤗😘

[CecilyParsley]

It looks amazing. My hubby would love it but I would much prefer the orange one. I look forward to your next creation. Have a lovely week and stay safe xxx

[Horsewhisper in reply to CecilyParsley]

Thanks CP! And I’m sure they would work well with almond milk & vegan chocky like from the Seed & Bean range if you want to avoid dairy! In fact I must try a dairy-free delight and let you know how it goes! You too, hope you’re feeling ok 🙏👍🤗😘🤗

[CecilyParsley in reply to Horsewhisper]

I am sure it would work well with m KoKo milk. I saw some tiramisu wafers whic would be lovely with a mocha hot chocolate too. I am very fed up with myself to be honest. My asthma is not controlled despite using 16 puffs of Ventolin through a space haler and 8 puffs of Fostair through a spacer. I cannot have a new Ventolin pump or more nebulas until I get another asthma review despite having accessed two appointments with the emergency GP and one blue light ambulance. I have rung three times to request a review and told I cannot be seen until “ sometime in January”. I lost it on Friday and I have now put my concerns in writing. How ludicrous that they seem hell bent on not supporting me thus taking up more precious NHS services. Sorry I am sick of being a grump. I hope you are doing well lovely? Thank you for your kindness xxx

[Horsewhisper in reply to CecilyParsley]

Gosh that’s not very helpful at all - especially when it comes to something as crucial as your breathing. I’m not surprised you are fed up - you really shouldn’t have to battle to arrange a review - and well done for complaining in writing - that should get their attention. But it shouldn’t be like that and unfortunately that’s the way it is sometimes. You have enough daily battles to contend with, without having to fight for essential care! I hope my Cropley Creations have cheered you up a bit and I’ll do the dairy-free chocky coconut latte midweek as a pick me up! Take care CP and I hope you get the outcomes you so rightly deserve 😘🤗😘

[CecilyParsley in reply to Horsewhisper]

Thank you so much xxx

[svfarmer]

I definitely need to come round to yours for one of your wonderful drinks 🥤 I wonder if a Turkish delight 1 would be scrumptious 😋- my favourite or perhaps a bounty coconut 🥥 1 - I’m getting very excited here, all I’ve got is some green and blacks organic cocoa powder so will have to have that instead, and we’ve even run out of squirty cream 😠

[Horsewhisper in reply to svfarmer]

Oooh! Well there’s some festive inspiration! Thanks SV! I’ll get some rosewater and make some - I could do little weeny chunks of Turkish delight sprinkled on top of the squirty cream and sip the latte with some larger pieces on the side! My folks used to call it “rahat hulkum” the actual Turkish name for it - how quaint is that?! The coconut one would be quite easy - I could go all out non-dairy and make that with coconut milk, some vegan coconut chocolate, the Ombar one is really good - roast some coconut flakes to sprinkle on the top with some dessicated coconut! And have a vegan mini Bounties on the side! If CP likes coconut, this would be a good one!

Squirty cream - it’s a firm staple in my fridge - the kids squirt it from a height and the dog jumps up and gobbles a mouthful as it shoots through the air! Hours of fun! 😂🐶🤗😘🤗

[svfarmer in reply to Horsewhisper]

😂😂😂 yes I remember my boys doing that with the squirty cream with me shouting at them to put it back 😂😂”rahat hulkum “ now that is a good name xx

[Krazykat26]

OMG!! Nigella Cropley strikes again!! 😋I've been waiting for this creation HW n it looks fab!! 😋

Yes me too on the after eight mints in the 70's..we used to have them at Xmas!! Can't understand why the woman on the advert just nibbled the corner seductively? I used to tuck in big time!! 😹And Mint Matchmakers?? I haven't had them for years!!

Thank u for the delicious after eight one and for evoking happy memories 🌈😽😽xx

[Horsewhisper in reply to Krazykat26]

😂Hi KK! I’m honoured that you should call me Nigella Cropley!! What a great cooking name! Watch out Delia! There’s no nibbling of chocky in this house - it gets wolfed down without a second chomp. Remember the Flake advert?! 😂why take so.....long?! Anyway, lots more tripping down memory lane in the coming weeks - particularly with my upcoming egg nog latte - remember the “Snowball” drink at Christmas?! Hope you are doing OK and glad you liked the minty one! 🤗😘🤗

[Krazykat26 in reply to Horsewhisper]

😹yes I remember the Flake advert..of course I would..I was a teenager n that lady taught me alot about 'how to eat a flake' 🤭Again teenage memories of being allowed a snowball on Xmas day!! 👍

I look forward to all of your creations Nigella Cropley recipe book maybe?!?! 🤔😹🌈😽😽Xx

[Horsewhisper in reply to Krazykat26]

🤣🤣🤣I’m laughing so much at this KK!!! I’m not sure I can construct a printable reply!! Thanks for chuckles! A recipe book...now there’s an idea.....💡👍🌟

[Krazykat26 in reply to Horsewhisper]

😉I did think it was a bit risqué 😹 😹😹🌈😽😽xx

[Horsewhisper in reply to Krazykat26]

👍🤪😂😘🤗

[Wendy39]

Are you offering a drive through service?

Looks amazing!

[Horsewhisper in reply to Wendy39]

Hi Wendy - that’s a good idea! In fact, the drive through service was the inspiration for these goodies - due to lockdown and me having my licence revoked, the kids were missing the weekly treat of driving through a Costa! So I’ve been copying the seasonal hot drinks menu at home instead! Kids are delighted, I’ve been having fun in the kitchen and it’s been lovely to share the creations on here! Hope you are doing ok? 😘🤗😘

[Wendy39 in reply to Horsewhisper]

How lovely!!!! Great idea for you and your children. I love a gingerbread latte. Lots of the monin syrups are available online. Choc orange is a good combo. Could always add a christmas tipple too. I'm doing OK, thank you. I'm sorry you have had your driving license revoked. That's hard. x

[Horsewhisper in reply to Wendy39]

Thanks Wendy, yes I did a Terry’s Chocolate Orange hot chocolate last week which went down really well! I have sent an appeal to the DVLA, fingers crossed I’ll get my licence back sooner x

[Wendy39 in reply to Horsewhisper]

I’ll cross my fingers too.

[Horsewhisper in reply to Wendy39]

Thank you 😘

[Spotty-ewe]

Ah, there it is, the drink I’ve been waiting for. 👏🏻👏🏻 A seriously minty hot chocolate. 👍🏻 Yummy. 😋 And good old Matchmakers - they bring back memories of my youth. Actually I saw some gingerbread flavoured Matchmakers last time I went out shopping (about 3 weeks ago) and bought them for a stocking filler for hubby as I’d like to try one or two to see what they are like. 🤫 I’ll have to venture out 1 more time to get a few more pressies before the big day and to buy a few ingredients to try your mouth-watering minty creation. Thanks as always Horsewhisper. You are such an inspiration! 🤗😘x

[Horsewhisper in reply to Spotty-ewe]

Ta-da!! Hope it was worth the wait Spotty! It was pretty minty I must say! I must look out for the gingerbread Matchmakers because they will go nicely with the Gingerbread Latte that is on my list of yummy festive hot drinks that I’ll be making! I’m going to make a dairy free Chocko-Coconut latte for Cecile P later this week and then an Egg Nog Latte for KrazyKat. You can tell hubby I’ll make the Gingerbread Latte for him if you like? Hope you are ok at the moment? 🤗😘🤗

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Horsewhisper]

Well worth the wait thanks Horsewhisper. 😚😋 You’ve some super tasty festive hot drinks lined up! I’m salivating already. 😄 Hubby would be honoured if you made a Gingerbread Latte for him and I expect he’ll want me to make one for him when he opens his gingerbread Matchmakers at Christmas. So I’ll have to take note of your recipe.🤐

I’m not bad at present thanks and I have follow up appt with ENT specialist tomorrow if my sore throat doesn’t get any worse that is. 🤞 Otheriwse I’ll need to cancel.

I hope you are keeping okay too. Any word from DVLA yet regarding your appeal? There’s always something eh? We can’t locate our passports (not that we need them) and hoped we’d sent them with application to activate our enduring powers of attorney which we’d sent off in early March before lockdown. They sent the form back only last week to say the POA document was a photocopy and where was the original (still with our solicitor it turned out!🤦‍♀️) and then when hubby phoned they confirmed they didn’t have our passports. 😳 So there’s some serious searching and decluttering to be done over the next few weeks trying to find them! No rest for the wicked! 😂

[Horsewhisper in reply to Spotty-ewe]

Hi Spotty - I’ve just made a dairy-free coconut hot chocolate and I’ll post it up here shortly. By all means tell hubby that the Gingerbread Latte is on the menu for tomorrow and I’ve just taken delivery of some gingerbread Matchsticks and some mini gingerbread men to garnish the drink - yay! I’ll post that up too when done.

Hope your ENT appt went ok? I haven’t heard back from DVLA yet, they did say it would take a while due to social-distancing staffing implications. Sorry to hear about your passports - hopefully they’re turn up, probably put somewhere “really safe” so safe that even you can’t find them! That’s what happens in our house!! Anyway, hope you’ve had a good week 🥛🤗😘🤗

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Horsewhisper]

Hi Horsewhisper, The dairy-free hot chocolate will appeal to many people with a dairy intolerance or allergy and I know Cecily is eagerly waiting for it. I’ll tell hubby that the Gingerbread Latte is on the menu tomorrow and the garnishes sound amazing. 😋ENT went well on Wednesday, thanks for asking. I’ve to keep using a saline spray in the nostril which was cauterised and she said taking Vit C was very important! Interesting! No sign of passports yet so some serious Spring cleaning is on the agenda. Ugh!

I hope it isn’t too long before you hear from DVLA. 🤞Looking forward to seeing your next post. 😍 🤗😘

[Josiah150767]

HiLooks and sounds delicious. I don’t have dairy, but I can use coconut milk and cream. Would love to try the eggnog one for Christmas 😋