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White Chocolate Orange Almond Hot Chocolate

A luxurious, creamy hot chocolate infused with fresh orange and almond, made from scratch with real white chocolate.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 mugs
Course: Beverage, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Winter
Calories: 720

Ingredients
  

For the Hot Chocolate
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz white chocolate finely chopped, high-quality bar
  • 0.25 cup almond butter smooth, natural
  • 1 large orange zest only
  • 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp almond extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
For Garnish
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream whipped
  • 0.25 cup slivered almonds toasted
  • orange zest extra for sprinkling

Equipment

  • Medium Saucepan
  • Fine-Mesh Sieve
  • Whisk
  • Microplane zester
  • Small skillet

Method
 

  1. Toast the slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2-4 minutes until fragrant and golden. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, the scraped seeds and pod of the vanilla bean, and the orange zest. Heat until steaming (not boiling). Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Strain the infused dairy through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan to remove zest and vanilla pod.
  4. Reheat the strained dairy over low heat. Add chopped white chocolate and almond butter. Whisk constantly until completely smooth and melted, 3-5 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat. Whisk in almond extract and a pinch of sea salt.
  6. Optionally, use a milk frother or immersion blender to create a light foam.
  7. Pour into warm mugs. Top with whipped cream, toasted almonds, and extra orange zest. Serve immediately.

Notes

For best results, use a high-quality white chocolate baking bar, not chips. Do not boil the mixture after adding the chocolate to prevent separation. Dairy can be infused a day ahead.