Skip to main content

Heart and Soul Hot Cocoa

This rich cocoa warms the heart and soul like no other. After you’ve served the cocoa, the leftover amount makes a good base for chilly chocolate milk the next day. Store it in the refrigerator and just splash in cold, fresh milk to lighten it up.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Chocolate Choices:

Cocoa powders to consider are E. Guittard, Droste, Hershey’s, Scharffen Berger, or—by far my favorite—Valrhona.
3/4 cup sugar, or more
1/2 cup unsweetened alkalized or dutched cocoa powder, or more to taste
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons malt syrup (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Artisan marshmallows or whipped cream (optional)

Preparation

  1. Mix the sugar and cocoa together in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the milk, cream, and malt syrup in a big saucepan over medium heat. As the milk starts to warm up, scoop up about a cup of it and slowly whisk it into the sugar and cocoa mixture to form a paste. Add the paste to the saucepan and whisk until incorporated. Add the vanilla and salt. Adjust the flavors to taste. Continue heating until it is hot but not boiling. Use a ladle to scoop out servings into a mug. Serve with artisan marshmallows or a dollop of whipped cream.

Chocolate Bliss
Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This chicken salad nails it—creamy, herby, and endlessly riffable.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
Like crispy gnocchi caprese and raspberry—brown butter skillet cake.
The secret to flavorful, never-greasy eggplant parm? Brine the eggplant first.
Like hot honey chicken with peaches and a dirty martini spritz.
Our go-to banana bread recipe is moist, nutty, and incredibly easy to make.
Just as great with coffee for breakfast as it is with amaro for dessert.