★ drink ★

Lakrits Hot Chocolate

Name: Lakrits Hot Chocolate
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: Makes 2 mugs
Ingredients: 400 ml (1¾ cups) whole milk; 100 ml (½ cup) heavy cream; 120 g (4 oz) dark chocolate (70% or higher), chopped; 2 tsp cocoa powder; 1 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste); 2 pieces of soft Swedish salt liquorice (or 4 g salmiak powder); Pinch of flaky sea salt; Whipped cream + grated chocolate, to serve

Salt licorice melted into thick European-style hot chocolate. Cold-weather candy alchemy.

★ Makes 2 mugs★ 10 minutes

Real European hot chocolate — thick, glossy, eaten more than drunk — with two pieces of Swedish salt liquorice melted in. The salt brings out the cocoa; the liquorice leaves a long aftertaste you didn't see coming.

Method

1
Combine the milk and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until steaming but not boiling.
2
Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, and chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth and glossy. Drop in the two pieces of liquorice and stir for 2 minutes — they'll mostly dissolve.
3
Strain into mugs to catch any liquorice solids. Top with whipped cream, grated chocolate, and a tiny pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately.

★ Tips from the kitchen ★

If you can't get soft liquorice, salmiak powder (4 g) works — whisk it in with the cocoa.
The drink thickens as it cools. Drink it warm-hot, not blistering.
For a grown-up version, add 30 ml dark rum. The salt-rum-chocolate triangle is dangerous.