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Spiced Hot Chocolate recipe

5 hours ago
1 min read

A super decadent hot chocolate made with whole spices, chopped chocolate - and a secret ingredient - that's guaranteed to keep you warm during the colder months.


a mug of spiced hot chocolate in a central perk mug
Guaranteed mood booster

I honestly think there is not much better than a steaming mug of hot chocolate on a rainy evening. I'll be curled up on the sofa, under a cosy blanket as the mug radiates warmth to my fingertips and the scent of cinnamon and ginger warms my soul. It's me at my most relaxed.


However, any fellow hot choccie lovers knows that not all hot chocolates are made equal. They can be thin and powdery, overly sweet or lack any real flavour. So when I decided to make my own recipe, it had to be something that felt like a chocolate lover's dream and was better than anything I could get from the supermarket.


The biggest thing I wanted to achieve was a super smooth texture with a bit of body and I achieved this with two unexpected ingredients - malted milk powder and... cornflour. Yep, the stuff we cooks use to thicken gravies and stews. It might be weird but cornflour is simply a flavourless way to add body to a liquid and I found it a great way to emulsify the chocolate chunks and dairy without an immesion blender. Oh, and make sure to use good quality chocolate - I use Sainsbury's Taste the Difference.


This recipe is a crowd pleaser so if you make it, please let me know! Post a comment below or tag me on Instagram @diaryofahopefulcook!



1pt whole milk 2-3cm fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 3 cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick 50g milk chocolate, finely chopped 50g dark chocolate, finely chopped 2tsp malted milk powder (or a sachet of instant Horlicks) 1tsp cocoa powder 4 tbsp caster sugar 1-2tsp cornflour pinch of salt Lightly crush the cardarmon to release the seeds and add to a pot with the cinnamon stick. Gently toast until it smells fragrant. Add the milk and freshly sliced ginger. Gently heat the milk until small bubbles appear. Remove from the heat and let the spices soak in the milk for 10 minutes. Remove the spices by straining the milk through a fine mesh sieve into another pot. (You can just pick out the spices with a spoon but there might be some cardarmon seeds left behind!) In a small bowl, mix together the malted milk powder, cocoa powder and cornflour with a splash of milk or water to prevent lumps. Add the chopped chocolate, sugar and cocoa mixture to the pot of spiced milk. Heat the mixture until it reaches a boil, whisking constantly. The chocolate should be completely melted and the mixture should be smooth and slightly thick. Remove from the heat, season with a pinch of salt and serve immediately!

 
 
 

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