HOT CHOCOLATE GETS A DESI MAKEOVER WITH GHEE AND SPICED RUM
It’s sadly time to wrap up my holiday cocktail series, but I’m coming to you straight from the recipe testing kitchen with a winner. It’s one that you’ll love not just during the rest of the holiday season, but through the entirety of winter.
You asked... I promised to deliver. :)
This one is extra special to my heart because a tried and true holiday classic gets a desi-makeover with extra comforting flavors like GHEE, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and a touch of cardamom! This recipe is one that is from the heart and I can't wait for you to try it!
Ghee in hot chocolate? Breathtaking. The slightly sweet, slightly roasted, slightly nutty taste of ghee pairs perfectly in hot chocolate. I KNOW. Breathtaking AND revolutionary.
To add some extra magic, the spiced rum in the hot chocolate compliments the ghee so well. Spiced rum makes me EXTRA happy and I don’t know why more boozy hot chocolate on bar menus don’t have spiced rum in them. Most that I see have Kahlua or Baileys and believe me when I tell you– Caribbean spiced rum in hot chocolate is A++.
Happy holidays to you and yours! I can’t wait to bring you more recipes like this in the new year. Hope you are just as excited as I am and as always, please let me know if you have any feedback or would like to see something specific in 2022 from me. Here for any and all feedback. With that, cheers to the new year! Xo.
INGREDIENTS
For the hot chocolate:
0.5 oz or 1 tablespoon of ghee (I used Nanak Foods, everyone’s favorite!)
1 oz of spiced rum (I used Kraken Black Spiced Rum)
6 oz of milk or water (I used Chobani Oat Plain Extra Creamy)
3 oz of your favorite bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking Bar)
For the garnish:
Whipped cream, optional (I used Reddi-wip Original Whipped Cream)
1/8 teaspoon or more to taste of cardamom powder or freshly ground green cardamom, optional but highly recommended
2-3 large marshmallows or 6-8 small marshmallows, optional but highly recommended (I used Hammond’s Vanilla Bean Marshmallows)
DIRECTIONS
In the microwave, melt together your ghee and finely chopped chocolate in 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst until the ghee is fully incorporated. It took me about 40-45 seconds!
In a separate small pot, heat up your milk on medium-high heat until hot. Be careful not to boil your milk– it needs to be hot, but not scalding hot! :)
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in your chocolate-ghee mixture— whisking to combine until the chocolate-ghee mixture is fully dissolved into the milk.
Finally, time to add in the rum! I recommend starting with 1 oz (two tablespoons) and adding in more as desired.
Top with whipped cream and a pinch of cardamom powder! Add in some marshmallows and there you have it! Serve hot!
~ Serves 1
Notes
If you are able to find it, I’d recommend using baking chocolate. Baking chocolate is easier to melt versus chocolate chips or a regular chocolate candy bar. Baking chocolate can be found in the baking aisle next to all of your other baking essentials like sprinkles, frosting, and boxed cake mixes. If you cannot find baking chocolate, feel free to use these other options, but know that it might take a little bit longer than the allotted time above to melt. Keep mixing until you get the consistency you like– I promise you will get there. :)
While we are on the topic of chocolate, I’d also recommend using bittersweet chocolate as instructed vs. milk or dark. We are adding sweetness in other ways (the ghee, rum, and oat milk all have a natural sweetness) and I am serious about my promise to deliver y’all well-balanced cocktails recipes. It was hard for me to find a hot chocolate recipe online over the years that I love– largely due to the sweetness level of most. You can of course use the chocolate you prefer, but be sure to taste as you go and adjust as needed.
You can use either milk OR water in this recipe but I highly recommend using milk to get that luscious texture that makes this hot chocolate the BEST there is. Also, pro-tip: if you have a frother on hand, I recommend heating up your milk in the frother. It heats up nicely and I mean…the froth is an extra bonus. :) I personally love using oat milk in this recipe but feel free to use what you have on hand.
The rum: I’ve used a black spiced rum which complements the nuttiness of the ghee and the cardamom powder on top of the whipped cream BEAUTIFULLY, but feel free to use your favorite rum in this! From a price standpoint, I’d recommend using a rum that you enjoy but not one that is $$$. It’s going in hot chocolate so you can save your fancy occasion rum for another time.