Recipes / Hot drinks / French Ingredients Servings
− +
Quantities for 2 servings
120 g dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), finely chopped 400 ml whole milk 60 ml double cream 1 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tbsp caster sugar, or to taste A pinch of fine sea salt 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Whipped cream or marshmallows, to serve
The base is worth following fairly closely, but everything on top is yours. Change the fillings, herbs and garnishes freely, and use the method as your anchor rather than the exact list.
Method 1 Chop the chocolate finely and evenly. Big chunks melt slowly and unevenly, and you'll be tempted to raise the heat to hurry them — which is how it catches. 2 Whisk the cocoa powder, sugar and salt with a splash of the cold milk in the pan to form a smooth paste. Adding cocoa to hot liquid makes lumps that never fully disappear. 3 Whisk in the rest of the milk and the cream, then set over medium-low heat and bring it to just below a simmer — steaming, with small bubbles at the edge only. 4 Take the pan off the heat entirely and add the chopped chocolate. Wait 1 minute without touching it, then whisk until completely smooth. Off-heat melting is what keeps it glossy rather than grainy. 5 Return to the lowest heat for 2–3 minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil; boiled chocolate milk turns thin and slightly bitter. 6 Whisk in the vanilla, taste, and add more sugar only if you need it — good dark chocolate usually doesn't. 7 Pour into warmed mugs and top with whipped cream or marshmallows. Warming the mugs first buys you several extra minutes of proper heat. Tap a step to cross it off. Your place is saved on this device.
Cook’s notes For a vegan version, use oat milk and a dairy-free chocolate; skip the cream and add an extra 20 g chocolate to keep the body.
A pinch of cinnamon or a small dried chilli warmed in the milk makes a good Mexican-style variation.
How it should look Photos of the finished dish, so you know what you’re aiming for.
More from Hot drinks Hot drinks Kept below a simmer the whole time, because boiling drives off the alcohol and leaves a stewed, syrupy shadow of the wine you started with.
35 min • Serves 6 • Easy
Hot drinks
Ratings & comments
No ratings yet — be the first to say how it went.
0 comments
Nothing here yet. Cooked it? Let everyone know how it turned out.