If you're here, it's haute hot chocolate season! For the smoothest, thickest, richest hot chocolate, try any of these three techniques by Pierre Hermé. Other than the dairy in the chocolate (if any), you don't need milk for the Original or Spiced recipes.

Hot Haute Chocolate

by Pierre Hermé

Original Hot Chocolate:

2 servings
2 cups water (500 grams)
1/4 cup sugar (50 grams)
4.25 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted (130 grams)
1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder (25 grams)

Recipe summary: dissolve sugar in boiling water over medium high heat. Lower heat and add chocolate and cocoa, whisking until combined. When the first bubble pops up, remove pan from heat and whip the hot chocolate with a blender for one full minute. Serve immediately or pour into a container to cool.

Classic Hot Chocolate

2 servings
2 cups whole milk (500 grams)
1/4 cup water (60 grams)
1/4 cup sugar (50 grams)
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted (115 grams)

Recipe summary: dissolve sugar in boiling water and milk over medium high heat. Lower heat and add chocolate, whisking until combined. When the first bubble pops up, remove pan from heat and whip the hot chocolate with a blender for one full minute. Serve immediately or pour into a container to cool.

Spiced Hot Chocolate

4 servings
3 cups water (750 grams)
1/4 cup sugar (50 grams)
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 moist, plump vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp scraped out
12 black peppercorns
zest of 1/2 lemon, in strips removed with a vegetable peeler
6.5 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted (185 grams)
6 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder (40 grams)

Recipe summary: Bring water, sugar, and all aromatics to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat to medium low and add chocolate and cocoa powder, whisking until combined. Once the first bubble pops, strain the aromatics from the hot chocolate, and blend for one full minute. Serve immediately or pour into a container to cool.