Aug 25 2026
Restaurants›Blue Surf Café›Gourmet Hot Chocolates Recipe

Gourmet Hot Chocolates Recipe

Inspired by Blue Surf Café
Time30m
Serves4

Make Gourmet Hot Chocolates Recipe in just 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Classic Dark Hot Chocolate Base

Lavender White Hot Chocolate (variation)

Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate (variation)

Toppings & Finishing

Method

Classic Dark Hot Chocolate Base

  1. 1

    Chop and heat

    Chop the bittersweet chocolate into small, uniform pieces so it melts evenly. In a medium saucepan, warm the whole milk over medium-low heat until small bubbles form around the edges and it is steaming but not boiling (about 5–7 minutes). Stir frequently to prevent skin or scorching.

  2. 2

    Incorporate dry ingredients

    Whisk in the granulated sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder until fully dissolved and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the pinch of sea salt to brighten the chocolate flavor.

  3. 3

    Melt the chocolate

    Reduce heat to low. Add the chopped bittersweet chocolate in batches, whisking constantly until fully melted and the mixture is glossy and homogeneous, about 2–4 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil.

  4. 4

    Finish and keep warm

    Stir in the vanilla extract. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired, adding small additional amounts of sugar. Keep warm on the lowest heat setting, whisking occasionally, until ready to serve (up to 20 minutes).

Lavender White Hot Chocolate (variation)

  1. 5

    Infuse milk with lavender

    Place the whole milk and dried culinary lavender in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling, then remove from heat and cover. Let steep for 8–10 minutes to infuse flavor.

  2. 6

    Strain and reheat

    Strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve into the saucepan to remove lavender buds, pressing gently to extract flavor. Rewarm the milk over low heat until steaming.

  3. 7

    Melt white chocolate and finish

    Lower the heat. Add the chopped white chocolate and heavy cream, whisking until smooth and fully melted. Stir in the honey to taste. Keep warm and serve with a sprinkle of reserved lavender buds if desired.

Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate (variation)

  1. 8

    Warm milk with spices

    In a saucepan, combine the whole milk, ground cinnamon, ground chile powder, and brown sugar. Warm over medium-low heat until steaming, whisking to dissolve the sugar and distribute spices, about 4–6 minutes.

  2. 9

    Add chocolate and cocoa

    Reduce heat to low and whisk in the semisweet chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder until fully melted and smooth. Taste and increase spice or sugar slightly if desired. Keep warm.

Toppings & Serving

  1. 10

    Serve

    Ladle 1 cup of hot chocolate into warmed mugs for each serving. If making multiple varieties, label or note which mug contains which flavor.

  2. 11

    Garnish

    Top each mug with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of mini marshmallows. Dust with cocoa or grated chocolate. For the Lavender White Hot Chocolate, garnish with a few lavender buds. For the Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate, tuck a cinnamon stick into the mug for stirring.

  3. 12

    Storage and reheating

    Storing: Keep any leftover hot chocolate refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 48 hours. Reheating: Gently reheat on the stove over low heat, whisking to recombine; add a splash of milk if texture has thickened.

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