butterbeer bourbon white hot chocolate
Merry Christmas Eve! Here’s a breakfast cocktail for those experiencing a bit of chill this holiday. Or if you just want bourbon. 100% acceptable.
I’m a wildcard when it comes to chocolate. Dark chocolate is the bees implied knees and white chocolate tickles my fancy so long as it’s not cheap and so processed it tastes like plastic. Milk chocolate, meh. My grudge might originate from a very traumatizing acne experience in Sweden when I attributed the painful conditions to bars of Milka I’d snack on (not a whole one in a sitting, surprisingly) and dairy in general. I don’t think those bars really catalyzed anything, more likely the extreme shift in environment and subsequent hormonal disturbances. I haven’t really shaken the fright, though. The whitest of white chocolate manifestations never irked me. The bourbon here probably helps. What are you feelings about different chocolates?
Our temperature Christmas day won’t crest 60 degrees, so a hot beverage is in order. This is not a low calorie food, nor something I’d regularly call fuel for my triathlon-style training. It’s a treat. It’s comforting. It’s sweet and fattening and beautifully rich and luxurious. Worth stirring up for special occasions, or really whenever you feel like indulging. For a real experience, why not dip a Butterscotch Snickerdoodle or two in your mug?
I offer you two options for this cocoa: dairy-free and dairy-full. Of course, butter and white chocolate aren’t without cow products, but at least for me small quantities of such don’t bother my gut or my skin. Both versions yield a thick and buttery and creamy body reminiscent of your citizen geek cocktail. Drool. Whichever way you spin and draw, just don’t burn the milk. Keep an eye on the temperature and the behavior. No boiling, just slight scalding – you’ll see a film form atop the concoction, which is your cue to halt.
Tried this out? Leave a comment with your experience! Don’t forget to wave hello on Instagram, I’m oft around to have a chat!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/3 cup bourbon
- 4 cups whole or oat milk
- 1 cup canned coconut milk or heavy cream
- 6 oz white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
- whipped cream and caramel sauce, to serve
Instructions
- Heat oil, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small sauce pot until a rich gold color forms and sugar dissolves, about 3-5 minutes. Pour in bourbon (use more if you want a boozier taste) and let it bubble for about a minute. Add milks and white chocolate. Warm, stirring often, until chocolate dissolves and milk scalds but nothing at the bottom of the pot burns. Divide into four cups. Top each with whipped cream and warm caramel sauce.
