Even though it’s after Christmas, I would feel like a real Grinch if I didn’t put out a hot chocolate recipe of some sign off the year on. In this case, I have been seeing a ton of people posting videos of piping marshmallow mixture around the edge of your cup and torching that, then serving hot chocolate and cream inside of it. I thought that was extremely clever, so I just had to do that for myself. I made my own marshmallows(I think the videos using marshmallow fluff, but I was able to get away with it to some degree when I attempted it, minus some major marshmallow oozage because I was impatient and didn’t wait for the marshmallow to set more before piping it, so we’re rolling with that) using the classic simple syrup and gelatin method. For the hot chocolate, I did two things to make it slightly less traditional – I used milk tea as the base for mine, using assam tea because I love the malty, earthy notes, and it tastes almost like a spiced hot chocolate when used in this application! I thickened it with custard powder. Custard powder was literally an Amazon impulse buy of mine, because I vaguely remember using that, or something similar, when I staged at Dominique Ansel back in the day and we had to make pastry cream. It can be used to make custard outright, but in this case, I was using it to thicken my milk tea, giving it a richer flavor without having to add heavy cream to it(outside of the whipped topping, of course!). If you do not own a blowtorch, I would not advise trying to boil the marshmallows with an open flame, since depending on the cup you use, that could end up with melted plastic, exploded glass, or a fire – it’s fine to leave the marshmallow untorched, since that’s classic in regular hot chocolate anyways! The recipe itself came together really quickly, so you can have a fun hot chocolate-milk tea experience in less than an hour!

Makes 3-4 servings:
For the vanilla bean marshmallow:
2 tbsp gelatin powder + 2 tbsp cold water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

In a mixing bowl, stir together gelatin and cold water and allow to rehydrate. In a pot, bring sugar, water, and vanilla bean paste to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved into the water, and the liquid is reduced by half, pour into the bowl with the gelatin powder and transfer to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip for 10 minutes, until bright white and fluffy in consistency. You can try hand-whipping, but it will be an arm workout. Transfer to a piping bag lined with cooking spray. Allow the marshmallows to set for at least 15 minutes before attempting to pipe(unless you want it to just drip off the side of the cup like mine did).

For the hot chocolate milk tea:
32oz whole milk
4 bags Assam tea leaves
4oz dark chocolate, chopped finely
2 tsp custard powder
2-4 tbsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

In a pot, steep the tea into the milk for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. Strain out the tea, and whisk in the remaining ingredients, ensuring that everything dissolves into the milk. Keep warm for serving.

For the whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Whisk everything together until stiff peaks form. Keep refrigerated.

For assembly:
Start by piping the marshmallow around the edges of cup. Then spoon inside the hot chocolate. Using a blowtorch, torch the marshmallow until caramelized. Then finish with a scoop of whipped cream on top.