salted caramel hot chocolate
I guess this just sounded like a good idea.
Folks, this week has blown harder than Hurricane Ian (too soon?). While nothing specifically happened to me, everything around me is culminating into a hard knot constantly churning in my gut. I’m in a weird, uncomfortable, difficult transitional period. Which is also why I’ve been quite absent here on FMG.
But I had an urge last night to make hot chocolate. Didn’t really want to drink it, just make it, style it, enjoy the smells and stow it away for later. No doubt, I took several spoonfuls out of the mug before pouring it into a jar for later consumption, so I know this shit is good and wouldn’t share it if I thought otherwise.
And, now I can say with little doubt that this shit also stores well, too. In case you were wondering.
Homemade caramel sauce, a decadent chocolatey base, and of course, heaps of whipped cream. That’s what this Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate is all about. Our mornings hover in the 60s with high humidity and a brisk breeze, which here drops down the real-feel (to me at least) at least 5 degrees or so. Humid cold seeps right into your soul. So, even if the number isn’t impressive, the clamminess is.
Whether the air around you is chilly or your heart just is, thaw out with a mug of cozy cocoa. Easy to make, with a simple and divine homemade salted caramel sauce. Trust me, the extra little effort is worth it.
Car-mel or Cara-mel?
It’s caramel, you heathens.
Caramel sauce isn’t hard to make, per se, but it can be finicky. You have to keep your eyes on it or else the sauce will burn in a flash. Not useful for the recipe, and also quite annoying to clean up.
First, melt down some white sugar. Stir it constantly with a rubber spatula – you can also use a whisk, but spatulas get into the corners more easily and are also simpler to clean once you’re done.
When the sugar is smooth and golden brown, immediately plop in your butter. The liquid will spit and protest, so be careful. Stir it around until melted. Grab your whisk and agitate the sauce while slowly streaming in your heavy cream. Whisk constantly for a minute or two, then move the pan off the heat. Stir in some vanilla extract and kosher salt. Use kosher salt here, not table salt. That will make a hefty, blood pressure-spikingly salty caramel. Oof.
The sauce will continue to thicken up as it cools, so don’t worry if it’s not that runny, drippy, beautifully textured caramel right away. It will become what it’s meant to be soon enough.
Hot and Fresh Out the Kitchen
Next up: the hot chocky itself.
Snag another sauce pan. Heat up your milk until steaming. I prefer whole milk for the richest experience, but you can use 2 percent, or find a good nondairy alternative. I’d recommend oat, soy, or cashew. Almond is certainly not my favorite, but if you insist. Canned coconut is the best if you want something extremely supple. Whichever milk you choose, make sure you don’t let it boil. That will scald your shit.
When little tendrils of steam curl out of your pan, turn off the heat and whisk in chopped dark chocolate – choose a good quality bar here – and some of the caramel sauce. For a sweeter cocoa, use up to 1/4 cup, but a happy medium for me is a heaping 2 tablespoons. Stir occasionally for around five minutes until all the chocolate is melted and the whole shebang is very smooth and creamy. Finish with a splash of vanilla extract.
Ladle the cocoa into mugs: 4 smaller ones, or 2 gargantuan dudes, depending on your mood and how much company you’ve got around you. Top with lots of whipped cream, more caramel sauce, and caramel brulee topping that you swindled from your workplace. Not that I did that…
The caramel sauce will keep for a couple weeks in the fridge. Warm it gently in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth and spreadable/drippable. I think a spoonful or two would be excellent on top of leftover pumpkin pie or pumpkin cake from Thanksgiving. Mmhmm.
For a boozy option, a shot of bourbon or rum is my jam. If you need a little somethin-somethin in your mug.
Here offering a hug to anyone who needs it. And a mug of cozy. We’ll make it through whatever burders us, I’ll bet.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Cocoa for hard days:
Molten Tahini Coconut Hot Chocolate
salted caramel hot chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk, or nondairy milk of choice
- 4 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 3-4 tbsp salted caramel sauce (recipe below)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- whipped cream and extra caramel sauce, to garnish
salted caramel
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the caramel sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar until melted, whisking frequently. Toss in the butter. Let it melt, stirring occasionally – take care, as the liquid will sputter. Slowly stream in the heavy cream, whisking constantly until thickened slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Let cool – the sauce will thicken further as it cools.
- In a separate sauce pan, heat the milk over medium until steaming. Turn off the heat and stir in the chocolate and caramel sauce. Let sit for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Divide the cocoa amongst mugs. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce, as desired.
