My son has become enamoured of a French bulldog in our neighbourhood. His name is Junk (brilliant or criminal? You decide). In any case, the last time we saw Junk, Gabriel cried out, “Hi, Trash!”
I’ll get to the point: my children’s parlance has become sprinkled with Americanisms. Ours is now a household of cupcakes and playdates and candy. Thankfully, we still have porridge. Hot chocolate also seems untouched.
But this week I’ve welcomed an embellishment from our friends across the pond in the form of pumpkin spice mix. Every autumn, cafés across the land offer concoctions laced with this comforting blend of sweet spices – cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg – which exude a perfume that’s irresistible to children and grown-ups alike.
Together, the spice mix (named for its use in pumpkin pie), plus double cream, plus marshmallows – not just to decorate but to thicken the mixture itself – make for a superior hot chocolate with ample scope for an optional rum kick for grown-ups. Designed to be inhaled swiftly and entirely – no need for the trash, I mean junk, I mean rubbish bin...
The recipe
Makes 4 small cups
whole milk 300ml
double cream 100ml
cinnamon stick 1
cardamom pods 2
ground cloves ¼ tsp
ground ginger ¼ tsp
nutmeg a generous grating
vanilla extract a ½ tsp
chocolate chips 100g (use a mixture of dark and milk)
marshmallows 4, plus extra to place on top
spiced rum (optional)
black cake pen to decorate the marshmallows (optional)
Add the milk, cream, spices and vanilla to a saucepan and warm over a low heat, stirring. Don’t let it boil, but once the mixture starts to steam, then add the chocolate chips and continue stirring until they melt.
Tear 4 marshmallows into little pieces and stir them in, allowing them to melt, too. Once you have a thick, consistent mixture, take off the heat and pour into 4 little cups, spiking the grown-ups’ (should they please) with some spiced rum to taste.
Place a couple of marshmallows on top of each hot chocolate, and dust with nutmeg. For extra decoration, I like to take the white marshmallows and draw on smiley faces with a cake pen – two smaller circles for eyes, a larger circle beneath for an open mouth.