Chocolat à la Lavande

Steamed-milk hot chocolates have seldom found kind company in this House, for I frequently find them flavourless, style-over-substance, grand disappointments. It is surprising, then, that I present to you my first-ever steamed-milk hot chocolate recipe. I seek to improve the hot-chocolate world, after all, and I wish to demonstrate that steamed milk need not be a horrific waste of five to ten dollars. Indeed, one of my favourite café drinks is a London Fog: an Earl Grey lavender latte full of steamed milk, which inspired this recipe.

For this concoction, you will need:

  • 40 g (1.5 oz) dark chocolate

  • 150 mL (≈ ½ cup) whole milk

  • 1 tsp dried lavender buds

  • 1 Earl Grey tea bag

In addition to the ingredients, the following tools are required:

  • Sieve

  • Food thermometer

  • Double boiler

  • Whisk

  • French press or milk-frothing apparatus

Crafting this drink requires patient infusion, but I assure you that the result is marvellous:

  1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and set aside.

  2. In a double boiler, add the milk, lavender buds, and tea bag. Over medium-low heat, gradually increase the temperature to 50–60°C (122–140°F), taking care to keep the heat below 60°C.

  3. Hold this temperature steady for ten minutes, carefully monitoring the heat.

  4. Remove from the stove and cool to 45°C (113°F). Add the chocolate and whisk until fully incorporated.

  5. Return the pot to the stove and heat to 60°C (140°F).

  6. Filter the mixture through the sieve and into the French press.

  7. Froth the mixture by vigorously moving the handle up and down. Alternatively, use a milk frother.

  8. Pour into your serving cup.

Following these steps will result in a delightfully floral chocolate that brilliantly highlights each flavour, from lavender to bergamot to cocoa, in happy unison. As these flavours are infused into the steamed milk, the hot chocolate is far from bland. Instead, the steamed texture is like a gentle mist travelling through a spring breeze, softly delivering floral notes to the palate. Thus, steamed milk is not the death of hot chocolate; it merely requires extra attention and care—care that all hot chocolate is certainly due.