How To Make Your Hot Chocolate Taste Like Tiramisu

Hot chocolate is one beverage that brings back childhood memories — including those of sledding on a cold, snowy day, only to run inside and have a warming cup of hot chocolate waiting for you. Though this may sometimes be considered one catered to children (or just the young at heart), there are ways to give it a fun, adult-ish edge and make it all the more enjoyable.

This hack takes inspiration from a beloved Italian treat that's more synonymous with a fancy restaurant than a corner café: tiramisu. A classic tiramisu combines a medley of different ingredients, including soft ladyfinger biscuits, coffee, mascarpone cheese, and a little bit of chocolate, into a single soft, sophisticated, and delectable bite. While it might seem a bit odd to fuse this complex layered dessert with a hot chocolate, just think about the potential for flavors. A coffee-infused hot chocolate with a mascarpone whipped cream topping? We guess it's time to kiss regular ol' Swiss Miss goodbye. 

The first step to making this dessert-beverage hybrid is to make your hot chocolate base with a solid hot cocoa mix (or a trusted family recipe). Then, add in the coffee element. You can do this in one of several ways. A shot of espresso is always a good option, but it may dilute the chocolate flavor a little bit. Instead, consider swirling in some instant coffee granules or a sweetened coffee syrup. This will give you a little more of a concentrated coffee flavor — and one that will accentuate the complex chocolate notes. You can also add a coffee liqueur like Kahlúa for a boozy kick, though you'll still want to supplement it with another java-forward ingredient to ensure the flavor remains pertinent. 

Then, you'll need to concoct a mascarpone-infused whipped cream. The cheese gives this beverage a decadent, sublime mouthfeel — and it's not as difficult to make as it may seem. You can take inspiration from the one in our boozy tiramisu latte recipe, which is made by whipping the soft cheese with heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Depending on how fancy you want to be (and how good your piping skills are), you can either scoop it or pipe it on top of your beverage. From there, finish off your beverage with a proper ladyfinger biscuit and dusting of cocoa powder and you'll have a beverage set for a special occasion — or maybe the beverage itself is the special occasion.