Warm up this monsoon with these must-try hot chocolate delights

For those with a sweet tooth bigger than our very appetites, nothing can seem more comforting than hot chocolate. While a steaming cup of hot chocolate might not seem appealing in humid Indian weather, there are some versions you must try, especially during these rainy days. After all, what could be better for these cool, rainy days than a scrumptious concoction made mostly of chocolate?

The secret to the yummiest, most addictive hot chocolate, as chef Prateek Bakhtiani puts it, is in the ingredients. "The key is in the name: Hot and chocolate. Use good chocolate and use good heat, just enough to not burn off its complex notes. Any chocolate that you would eat is the chocolate that you should drink. It's the same with any cooking—good ingredients make good products. For me, personally, it's between 68-74 per cent dark. For my own hot chocolate I use my Smoke tablet—a 72 per cent single origin smoked with Oakwood,” he says.

But why stop there? This monsoon, elevate your cocoa experience with an array of decadent twists that go beyond the traditional beverage. Picture a slice of hot chocolate cake, where rich, velvety cocoa meets moist, fluffy layers. Or imagine sipping on a cold chocolate instead. From indulgent cakes to inventive drinks, we’ve curated a list of the top five unique hot chocolates and hot chocolate-inspired desserts that will make your rainy season a whole lot sweeter and quench your thirst for this delicious sweet treat!

Magnolia Bakery's Hot Chocolate Cake Slice

It is decadence at its peak, layered with milk chocolate ganache, topped with meringue icing and finished with a dusting of cocoa powder. For a taste of hot chocolate in cake form, a bit of this chocolatey goodness will satiate all your hot chocolate cravings, as the ganache melts away in your mouth.

Toast Doughnut Shop's Toast Hot Chocolate

Marshmallows and hot chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly—there's not a more perfect treat for your taste buds than a soft bite of s'mores topped with warm hot chocolate. Bandra's Toast Doughnut Shop is here to deliver with it's s'mores-inspired hot chocolate, where 55% dark Belgian chocolate meets any choice of milk, a secret spice mix, and a dollop of torched marshmallow fluff.

Mokai's Tiramisu Hot Chocolate

This one's perfect for all those coffee lovers who will skip a meal but never a cup of their daily coffee. Combining everyone's favourite coffee delicacy with hot chocolate, this one is a decadent dessert featuring 55% couverture French chocolate, a single shot of Mokai house blend espresso, and a luscious topping of fresh homemade mascarpone.

Chantilly's Frozen Hot Chocolate

Topped with delicious, house-blend whipped cream and cocoa powder, this frozen hot chocolate is the next best thing after an ice cream sundae. With a rich chocolate texture that melts in your mouth within seconds, this version of hot chocolate tastes delectable alongside a croissant or another bread-snack of your choice. 

Maska Bakery's Hot Chocolate Croissant Cake & Pie

Maska Bakery is Chef Heena Punwani’s love letter to Bombay, and brings back the joy and comfort of a neighbourhood bakery with a modern interpretation. On their menu is a selection of mouth-watering hot chocolate-inspired desserts that you have probably never tasted before. From a hot chocolate croissant cake to a hot chocolate pie, their unique twists on your everyday hot chocolate is to die for! Straight from the chef's personal recipe book, these hot chocolate desserts are especially perfect for chocolate lovers. 

Chef Prateek Bakhtiani's Whiskey Cioccolato Caldo

For all the whiskey lovers out there, chef Bakhtiani shares a special hot chocolate cocktail receipe. He says, "This thick and silky smoked Italian style smoked hot chocolate has got to be my favourite Christmas time drink. The secret to this recipe is of course the Smoke tablet, a single origin Madagascar chocolate smoked with oakwood that gives the cioccolato caldo an intensely adult smoking room, almost tobacco-like flavour."

Ingredients

80g Ether Smoke Bar (Smoked Madagascar Dark Chocolate), 280ml Milk, 25g Maple, 1 tsp Cornstarch, 1 to 2 Shots Rum/ Bourbon (Optional)

Method

In a small bowl make a slurry with the cornstarch and a couple of spoons of the milk. Chop up the Smoke bar into thin slivers and place in a small saucepan. Add enough milk just to almost cover the chocolate and heat on very low heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate has melted. Little by little add the remaining milk. 

Once all the milk is added, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and thicken to desired consistency. Off the head, whisk in the alcohol and serve with plenty of toppings!

Suggested toppings: Toasted marshmallows, whipped cream, grated Smoke bar, cinnamon stick, cocoa powder, Maraschino/Amerana cherry, orange peel twist.

Lead Image Credit: Pexels

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