Hazelnut Hot Chocolate with Maple Marshmallows

I will never tire of the simple pleasure of a mug of hot chocolate. This recipe is quite simple and is in essence only chocolate and milk with a touch of spice. To elevate the simplicity, we made hazelnut milk to serve as the base, adding a nutty complexity that plays so well with our chocolate, though you can certainly use whatever milk you have on hand. Any hot chocolate will be improved with a small pinch of salt, so we decided to consolidate steps by using our Alderwood Smoked Salt bar for this recipe. 

For the hazelnut milk 

1 cup raw hazelnuts 

Filtered water 

Fine sea salt to season 

3-4 large dates

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

For the marshmallows

Arrowroot or cornstarch for dusting 

1/4 cup powdered gelatin 

2 cups water 

1 cup maple syrup 

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and pod reserved 

For the hot chocolate

1 cup hazelnut milk 

1/2 bar BB Alderwood smoked chocolate 

1 marshmallow 

To make the hazelnut milk, place the hazelnuts in a bowl and cover with water. Set aside to soak at room temperature for 8 hours. 

Drain and rinse the soaked nuts, then add them to a high powered blender with a pinch of salt, the dates, and vanilla extract. Blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes, until all of the nuts are broken down. 

Line a medium mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and carefully pour the contents of the blender into the cloth, taking care not to let any spill over the edges of the cloth. Gather the ends of the cloth to create a sac, then gently squeeze out all of the milk. The pulp can be saved and used in granola, muffins, cookies and more. Transfer the strained milk to a suitable container and store it in the fridge. 

To make the marshmallows, line a 9x9 baking pan with a parchment paper sling. Dust it with arrowroot. Bloom the gelatin by adding the gelatin and 1/2 cup of water to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix well. Set aside to bloom. Meanwhile, combine the maple syrup, remaining water, scraped vanilla seeds and the reserved pod in a small saucepan. Bring this mixture up to a voracious boil, then immediately remove it from the heat. 

Turn the stand mixer on to medium with the balloon whisk attachment. Carefully stream in the hot maple mixture, and continue blending for another 8 minutes or so. The mixture will look quite sloshy at first, but will begin to thicken as the liquid cools and the gelatin begins to set. Eventually, you will be left with thick, glossy marshmallow fluff.

Working quickly to prevent the marshmallows from fully setting, transfer the marshmallow fluff to your lined container and smooth it out with a spatula. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to set. Once set, remove the marshmallow from the pan and cut into 1” pieces. Liberally dust the marshmallows in starch to prevent them from sticking to each other. They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for at least a month. 

To make the hot chocolate, heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Be careful not to let it come to a boil, as it will separate. When the milk is steaming hot, add the chocolate pieces and whisk vigorously until they’re melted. Pour into your favorite mug, and top with a marshmallow.