Basil Mint Hot Chocolate
Infused Hot Chocolate with Fresh Herbs
This has been an interesting journey making great hot chocolate. This Basil Mint Hot Chocolate really hits the spot with it’s unusual blend of fresh flavors. Not sure if children would enjoy this combination but definitely measurable on the adult palate. I find this very rich with full infused herb flavor. Very enjoyable!
How to Make Basil Mint Hot Chocolate
The number one most important thing is to have fresh herbs. I love using herbs that are still growing in a little earth pot from the local grocer but they are hard to find. They seem to be the freshest for basil. Basil gets so wimpy so fast. It is so fragile. I found the best bang for your buck is at Trader Joe’s because you get so much basil for the price. Mint is rather easy to find and pick out. Just look for the bunch that is very green. If there are any browning leaves look for a better batch.
The type of plant based milk you use is totally up to you. I made it with canned coconut milk and heavy canned coconut cream for my YouTube video. That is my very rich pulling out all the shots flavor recipe. You can turn it down a couple of notches by using a less fatty milk. Although, coconut brings out that extra rich chocolate flavor like butter does for chocolate. My other favorite milks for this recipe are oat milk and soy milk.
The chocolate is also each to their own. Chocolate is like a perfume. Everyone has their own taste. I prefer dark chocolate myself. Please pick your favorite for this recipe. It will make all the difference on how you enjoy your cup of Basil Mint Hot Chocolate.
How to Cook the Basil Mint Hot Chocolate
Cooking this Basil Mint Hot Chocolate is like a fine art form, plus patience. If you are anything like me, I just want my hot chocolate. Ha! Even if it takes 10 minutes it is worth it.
I use a double boiler or a sauce pan with a bowl over it, because it melts the chocolate just the same. Plus it helps if you don’t have a double boiler. It takes a little while for the chocolate to melt but at least it does not burn. I add the sugar and salt to my chocolate and not the the milk, because after you have the bowl on top it is too hot to stir the milk. I show how to do this in my video which comes out on Friday December 3rd on YouTube.
You will also need an infusible strainable cooking bag to put the herbs in. If you don’t have one you can strain the milk over a sieve to get the herbs out. After you strain the milk it is key to mix the milk in with the chocolate slowly as you mix it. Plus, the hotter the milk is it will taste better so don’t let it rest too long before you add it to the melted chocolate.
This Basil Mint Hot Chocolate definitely stands alone. I still have to try this with white chocolate. Enjoy this Basil Mint Hot Chocolate as much as we do. Preferably in front of the fire place with a good book!
Basil Mint Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- Double Boiler
- OR Sauce pan with a bowl on top that fits over the top of the sauce pan
- Sieve or strainable infusion bag
- Stirring spoon
- Small whisk
- 2 small hot chocolate mugs about 1 cup each.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Plant Based Milk
- ½ cup Coconut Cream OR More Plant Based Milk cream is optional
- ½ cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- ½ cup Fresh Mint Leaves
- 2 pinches Sea Salt
- 2½ oz Of Your Favorite Chocolate
- 3 tsp Of Superfine Sugar I like monk fruit sweetener or agave sweetener
Instructions
- Wash the basil and mint leaves
- Heat sauce pan on medium low heat. Add the plant based milk and coconut cream. (the coconut cream goes best with coconut milk recipe) Add the basil and mint to an infusion strainable bag or just add the basil and mint to the sauce pan and strain in a sieve when it is done.
- Turn heat down low. Stir the milk mixture with the herbs in it. Add the bowl or double boiler on top of the milk and herb filled sauce pan.
- Add the chocolate, salt and sweetener to the bowl on top of the sauce pan to melt down or to the double boiler. Stir the chocolate as it is melting down. Melt down should take about 10 minutes.
- After the chocolate is melted take the bowl or top double boiled pan off of the simmering hot plant based milk with herbs in it and set aside.
- Take the sauce pan with the herbs in it and stain the herbs out or strain with a sieve. Take the remaining hot plant based milk and slowly add a little herb infused milk at a time to the hot melted chocolate. Keep adding until it is completely mixed together.
- Pour into two small mugs or one large mug and garnish with plant based whip cream and fresh mint. Enjoy!