Time for another hot chocolate recipe! It's the only way to make winter bearable.
Today we have the Date, Cardamom and Sea Salt, which is designed to be served in very small and intense doses. Think of it as more of a macchiato than a latte.
Ingredients (serves two)
200ml milk (milk alternatives work well, in fact oat milk gives it a great texture!)
4 dates, chopped
8 cardamom pods, cracked
2 pinches of sea salt flakes
Instructions
1. Put the dates, cardamom pods and milk into a saucepan, making sure to put the lid on. Heat the milk until it starts to bubble, then turn off the heat and leave the pan on the stove top for 45 minutes.
2. Remove the dates and cardamom pods from the milk. You can scoop them out with a slotted spoon or use a sieve.
3. Return the milk to the stove, add a pinch of salt, and bring it back up to almost-boiling point.
4. Add in the drinking chocolate and stir vigorously until the chocolate is fully dissolved. When you use real chocolate like this, it takes longer to mix together than a cheap hot chocolate powder. You will need to keep it on the heat for a few minutes whilst you stir. Alternatively, if you have a stick blender, you can bring it almost to boil, then remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and use the stick blender to mix it together. Either way works well.
5. Serve in very small cups, with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes on top. If you like, you could serve with a couple of salt-sprinkled dates on the side.
This recipe is designed to be served in small, intense doses. If you'd prefer a larger cup of less intense hot chocolate, simply add more milk.