strawberry white hot chocolate
Winter coziness meets the first kiss of spring.
Our weather here took a dramatic twist this week. We shot up from 30 degree mornings to 60s and fog, and 50 degree middays to high 70s/80s. To me, it’s a bit early for those warmer temperatures, but as I walked around the city yesterday I couldn’t help but muse that it was perfect outdoor dining weather.
Better snatch up those moments while I can, before the mercury flashes the 90s.
The cold hasn’t allayed, though, for many of you, and as we approach Valentine’s Day I figured to combine warmth and pastel into one comforting mug. Strawberry White Hot Chocolate hits the spot. This fruity rendition of a winter warming favorite contains fresh strawberry milk, plenty of good-quality chopped white chocolate, and a big heap of whipped cream into which you can certainly feel no shame plunging nose-first.
Serve this to your sweetheart next week while snuggled up by the fire (I do not need to know what you plan to do after you snuggle. Keep that shit to yourself) or to your girls at Galentine’s Day. Hell, if it’s rickety outside on the Super Bowl, why not keep a pot warming on the stove for your guests? Just a thought.
Berry Nice, Berry Nice
The first key to our gorgeous cocoa is homemade strawberry milk. Simple stuff: just whole milk, a bit of water, lots of fresh berries, and sugar or honey. Those two sweeteners yield the best taste, I’ve found.
A couple things…
One…You can swap out any kind of milk you choose. Obviously, different milks behave to heat in various ways. I think almond milk is abhorrent warmed up, but if that’s your thing, go for it. Any dairy milk works and I’d prefer oat, soy, or full fat canned coconut if I needed to cut back on the cow.
Two…Blend the ingredients together in your blender. You will find, especially if you pulsed the liquids fairly aggressively, that the milk has a big cap of froth atop. Let this settle before you transfer it to the sauce pan. Might take about 10-15 minutes. The separation caused by the blending process will lead to your milk curdling on the stove. Not pretty, and not a nice mouthfeel, either. Chunky hot chocolate is yikes.
Once your milk has flattened out, dump it into a sauce pan and heat until it begins steaming. This will take about 5 minutes or so. Do not boil it – the milk scalds this way. Shut off the heat and stir in your chopped white chocolate. High-quality chips are fine too, like Ghirardelli, but I like buying the Lindt bars for this particular recipe.
Whisk the cocoa occasionally for about 5 minutes, until the chocolate is fully melted. Stir in some vanilla.
Pour your cocoa into mugs – two large or four smaller – and top with a mountain of homemade whipped cream and some sprinkles. I adore these little heart doodads. To make homemade whip, simply beat heavy cream (1/2-1 cup will do) with a couple tablespoons of sweetener and a splash of vanilla extract until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes or so. Easy peasy.
Final note: strawberry milk on its own is amazing in cereal. Honey Nut Cheerios or any kind of chocolate variety? Say no more.
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!
Hot hot hot chocolate!
Molten Tahini Coconut Hot Chocolate
strawberry white hot chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk (or milk of choice)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed
- 1/3 cup honey or sugar
- 6 oz white chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- whipped cream and sprinkles, to serve
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the milk, water, strawberries, and honey/sugar. Pulse until well combined. Let the milk sit until the froth on top settles – if you skip this step, your strawberry milk WILL curdle when heated!
- Add the strawberry milk to a medium saucepan and heat over medium until steaming. Turn off the heat and whisk in the white chocolate. Cover and warm for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Stir in the vanilla.
- Divide the hot chocolate among two larger mugs or four smaller ones. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles, as desired.
Leave a Reply