Hot chocolate and pink peppercorns. Now there’s a combination Willy Wonka didn’t think of. His loss: its liquid perfection.

Found a variation to this recipe in a Dutch magazine (probably Libelle or Margriet), tried it and have been hooked ever since.

There’s no cream in this so it’s a bit easier on the thighs and arteries. You can always top it with a swirl of whipped cream, though.

The chocolate milk itself is about as basic as it gets: lots of melted dark chocolate and warm milk. It’s the bold pink peppercorn and cinnamon infused syrup that takes it to the next level.

Ingredients:

7oz dark chocolate
1 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp sugar
pink peppercorns

Directions:

Technically pink peppercorns are impostors. They’re no peppercorns at all: they’re berries.

Use as much or as little as you like. I opted for 1 tsp and lightly crushed them. I mainly wanted some zing.

Put the crushed peppercorns into a saucepan and add the water and sugar.

Break a cinnamon stick in half and add it to the water. Bring it to a boil.

Simmer it over low heat for about 5 minutes, until it transforms into a thick, amber-colored syrup.

Sieve the syrup.

This tastes and smells fabulous. No other word for it, really.

7oz of dark chocolate. You really don’t want to use milk chocolate for this.

Break it in small pieces and heat it au bain marie or, like I do, in the microwave at full power for a minute or 2. Heat the milk as well.

Stir the hot milk into the melted chocolate.

 
I find it works best to just let it be for a while, 15 to 30 minutes or so, and then reheat it. The chocolate milk with be more chocolaty and velvety then. My light was leaving so I had to shoot straight away.
 

Add as much, or as little, of the pink peppercorn syrup to the hot chocolate as you like. It really adds pizzazz.

One more for the road… because I really couldn’t choose.