Just as the right wrap or a chic handbag can complete an outfit, a colourful garnish can give a hot drink that perfect finishing touch.

Candied citrus peel and ginger
Candied citrus peel and ginger are a delicious accompaniment to juice- or tea-based hot drinks. Skewer them for a fancy and decorative touch, or just float them on the drink to infuse some of the flavour. The instructions are simple. For candied citrus peel, take the peel of a citrus fruit, scraping off as much of the white part (pith) as possible; for ginger, use 1/2 cup peeled, thinly sliced ginger root. Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the citrus peel or ginger root, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until translucent, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain, reserving the peel or ginger. Using a fork, shake off any excess water, dredge the peel or ginger in sugar, and gently shake off any excess sugar. Cool completely before using.

Decorative rims
Rimming a glass with sugar, chocolate or crushed nuts is yet another way to impart flavour to your drink. Rub the rim of a glass with a wedge of lemon, lime or orange, or dip it in a shallow dish filled with liqueur, juice or water. Next, dip the rim in a shallow dish filled with sugar, unsweetened cocoa, shaved chocolate, or whatever else complements your drink. Gently shake off any excess. It's always fun to experiment. Try using two different liqueurs or a cinnamon sugar to create more complex flavours.


Dipped Popsicle sticks
For a fun and kitschy accompaniment to any drink, dress up a Popsicle stick with melted chocolate or caramel. Melt 3/4 cup chopped chocolate or caramel (and 1 tablespoon shortening if you are using chocolate) in a double boiler over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow dish. Dip in a Popsicle stick, turning to coat two thirds of it. Set on a piece of waxed paper and repeat the process with the remaining Popsicle sticks. Cool in the refrigerator before using.

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Excerpted from Some Like It Hot by Holly Burrows and Katie Walter. Excerpted by permission of Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Flavoured whipped cream
You probably thought it impossible to improve upon the decadent simplicity of whipped cream. Well, you'd better start believing! With liqueurs, extracts, flavoured syrups or spices to stir in, any flavour is yours for the making. Some of our personal favourites are Kahlúa, lemon juice, ginger (stir in ground ginger) and vanilla extract. Another idea for adding pizzazz is to dust whipped cream with grates spices, grated citrus zest or cocoa powder or to drizzle it with caramel or chocolate sauce. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, dream up flavour combinations such as mint whipped cream drizzled with chocolate, or Frangelico whipped cream dusted with espresso powder.

Fruit and citrus shapes
Using small, decorative cutters, which are essentially small cookie cutters, available at cooking stores, you can press out fun and festive shapes from citrus peels as well as thin slices of apple, pear or ginger root. Think leaves for autumn, stars for Christmas, or hearts for Valentine's Day. Start with citrus peel or fruit slices thin enough for the cutter to press through. Place the cutter on the peel or slice, press down, and voilà! If you don't have cutters, simple slices can be just as nice. Float the shapes or thread them on decorative skewers or pretty drink umbrellas.

Stencilling
Dress up the kids' cups at their next birthday party, stencil gingerbread men for your Christmas gathering, or show off your team's letters for the big game. Just select a piece of heavy card stock larger than the rim of the mug and, using an X-Acto knife, cut out a stencil in a fun shape or a letter for monogramming. Pour the hot drink into the mug and top with a few small dollops of whipped cream. Allow the whipped cream to melt a bit to create a flat surface. Place the stencil atop the mug and sift cocoa, tinted sugar or cinnamon over the stencil. Remove the stencil to reveal a unique and personalized drink.


Sugared berries
Skewer two or three raspberries, cranberries or other small berries onto a toothpick or decorative skewer. Dip the skewered berries in a small bowl of cold water, gently shake off any excess water, and then dip the skewer into a shallow bowl of sugar to coat. Shake again to remove any excess sugar.

Tinted sugars
Tinted sugar adds a special touch to your favourite hot drink when used to rim glasses or sprinkled on top of whipped cream. All you need is a small plastic zip-top bag, granulated sugar and food colouring. Place the desired amount of sugar in the plastic bag, add a few drops of food colouring, and shake to distribute the colour evenly. Add more food colouring until you achieve the desired hue.

 

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Excerpted from Some Like It Hot by Holly Burrows and Katie Walter. Excerpted by permission of Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.