The holiday season may be over and we're already a week into the new year, but winter is definitely in full swing — I'm looking at a weather map right now that shows sub-freezing temps across the majority of the US — and that means peppermint is still a perfectly acceptable flavor choice for your baking and coffee flavoring needs.

(Not that this wouldn't also be true the rest of the year of course, but for me, winter is the ideal peppermint time.)

For my money, Nielsen-Massey's pure peppermint extract is the weapon of choice. Instead of buying bottles of peppermint syrup to add to my homemade mocha drinks or cocktail beverages, I can throw a teaspoon or two of this stuff into a simple syrup of my own making, whenever I want. It also goes great in brownie batters and ice creams and the like — always adding a refreshing, cooling flavor.

You can also try adding a few drops of the peppermint extract to some hot water or tea to soothe an upset stomach or aid digestion. People have been doing stuff like that for ages.

You can get a 4 fl oz bottle for $15 or a 2 fl oz bottle for $11.