This rich hazelnut hot chocolate takes hot chocolate to the next level. It has deep cocoa notes and a strong hazelnut punch that makes it taste like Nutella or Ferrero Rocher.

It uses real chocolate instead of chocolate powder which brings a creamy body to the hot chocolate from the cocoa butter within the chocolate. The hazelnut praline paste brings warming caramel and hazelnut flavours. The secret ingredient is a pinch of salt which helps to round out the bitterness and enhance the flavour.

We recommend using 70% dark chocolate to balance the sweetness from the praline paste. It has a high ratio of chocolate to milk for an indulgent drink. Feel free to add more or less milk to alter the richness (or add a dash of cream for that extra luxury!).

This recipe is quick and uses a microwave for quick and small servings. We also use a hand blender to ensure the hot chocolate is emulsified perfectly, for the smoothest mouthfeel.

Ingredients

Servings: 2

• 260g milk
• 40g 70% dark chocolate
• 40g hazelnut praline paste
• pinch of salt

Tools used for this Recipe*

Hand blender

The hand blender is one of our favourite tools. It is used in so many recipes and techniques and helps you achieve perfect emulsions. In this recipe, it is used to create a perfect emulsion of chocolate, milk and hazelnut paste for a perfectly smooth hot chocolate.

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Method

1. Add the chocolate, hazelnut praline paste and salt to a tall canister.
2. Add the milk to the tall canister.
3. Heat the mixture in intervals in the microwave until it is just about too hot to touch (about 60-70°C). Heat it for about 1 minute initially, then continue in 20-30 bursts.
4. Blend with a hand blender until it is evenly incorporated.
5. (optional) Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any large solids from the praline