Thick, velvety hot chocolate steeped with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a whisper of cayenne, crowned with pillowy brown butter whipped cream. The ultimate fall afternoon warm-up.
1Brown the butter: In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, swirling, until it foams and turns amber with a nutty aroma, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and cool 10 minutes.
2Heat the milk: In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups of the milk, the sugar, cocoa, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne, and salt. Whisk over medium heat until steaming, about 5 minutes; do not boil.
3Melt the chocolate: Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick, and whisk in the chopped chocolate and vanilla until completely smooth. Whisk in the remaining 1 cup cold milk for a silkier finish.
4Whip the cream: In a cold bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar to soft peaks. Gently fold in the cooled brown butter until just combined — don't overwhip.
5Serve: Ladle the hot chocolate into mugs, dollop generously with the brown butter whipped cream, dust with cinnamon, and serve immediately.
Recipe Lineage
The family tree of this recipe — trace every fork back to the original.