By February 2026. Winter in Memphis, 67 years old, and the cold has settled into the house on Deadrick Avenue the way cold settles into old bones — persistently, without malice, just the physics of aging and December. Rosetta has the thermostat set at 74, our eternal compromise, and I cook warming things: stews and soups and slow-braised meats that fill the house with steam and flavor.
Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 42 years of marriage. Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew.
Smoked turkey wings this week — big, meaty, brined and rubbed and smoked at 275 for three hours until the skin crackled and the meat pulled clean. Turkey wings are the working class of BBQ: cheap, underrated, and transformed by smoke into something extraordinary. Uncle Clyde served them on Fridays at his stand, and I serve them on Saturdays in my backyard, and the tradition bridges the gap between then and now.
Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.
After the grandchildren headed home and the house settled back into its Saturday quiet, Rosetta and I sat together the way we always do — not saying much, not needing to. That kind of stillness calls for something warm in your hands, something that smells like the season and doesn’t ask anything of you. This Creamy Peppermint Hot Chocolate is that drink: rich and smooth, with just enough peppermint to remind you it’s winter and you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. I made it Sunday evening after church, and it was the right ending to a faithful week.
Creamy Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Whipped cream, for topping
- 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes, for garnish
Instructions
- Warm the milk and cream. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the whole milk and heavy cream. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is steaming but not boiling, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, and pinch of salt to the warm milk mixture. Whisk vigorously until fully dissolved and no lumps remain, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Melt in the white chocolate. Add the white chocolate chips and continue stirring over medium-low heat until completely melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the extracts. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the peppermint extract and vanilla extract. Taste and adjust peppermint to your preference — a little goes a long way.
- Serve and garnish. Ladle into four mugs. Top each with a generous swirl of whipped cream and a pinch of crushed candy canes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 115mg