Minty White Hot Chocolate Christmas Baking with SusieJ

Measurements [American]

  • 60 g white chocolate
  • 2 Tb sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 950 mL milk
  • One of:
    • 1/2 tsp mint extract
    • 1 bag herbal mint tea
    • 1 Tb mint leaves, crushed

Finely grate or chop the white chocolate. Grated white chocolate will melt almost instantaneously.

Heat the milk, sugar, salt and mint extract or leaves, but do not boil. If using crushed mint leaves, put the leaves in a large tea ball or a wrap securely in cheesecloth.

Add the white chocolate and stir until melted and the drink is sufficiently minty.

Last winter, the local branch of a national bakery chain sold mint white hot chocolate. As this was a new item, they offered free samples. I don't pass up free, but it was so watery yet cloyingly sweet that I wished I had. I knew I could do better, and I think I have. Without the bitterness of cocoa, white chocolate can be overly sweet, but the astringency of the mint provides balance.