Honeyed Rose Hot Chocolate with a Crunchy Nut Topping
A thick smooth velvety hot chocolate. Flavoured with honey and just a hint of rose for a touch of Middle Eastern promise. A topping of crunchy nuts gives additional flavour and texture contrast.
I have a bit of a thing for hot chocolate. So what better way to mark such a momentous and romantic day as this Honeyed Rose Hot Chocolate. Today is not only St Valentine’s Day, but also my blog anniversary. Yes, my blog, in its first iteration as Chocolate Log Blog and now latterly Tin and Thyme, is seven today.
As this blog started off life as a chocolate blog, it seemed only fitting to create a chocolate recipe to celebrate its anniversary. This last year has felt rather odd; after six years of blogging about chocolate, it now tends to feature only once or twice a month. But I have no regrets and Tin and Thyme is going from strength to strength, in large part due to you, my readers.
This year, I won an award for Best Food Blogger, just in case you missed it! This not only felt like the wonderful achievement it was, but also a big thumbs up for vegetarian food bloggers everywhere.
Talking of vegetarian food, I also got my cashew nut butter brownies recipe into the new paperback edition of The Cranks Bible which came out last month. I could go on, but I won’t. Instead I will leave you to savour this wonderful honeyed rose hot chocolate.
Honeyed Rose Hot Chocolate
If it hadn’t been for Helen over at Family, Friends, Food, I’d never have thought of combining a drink with nuts. Her recipe for sahlab was a revelation. I really must find myself some orchid roots to try out the traditional version.
Meanwhile, I reckoned topping a thick hot chocolate with nuts would be well worth trying. And given the Middle Eastern inspiration, I figured I just had to flavour it with rose and honey.
Rose can be overpowering if used with a heavy hand, so care is needed. I find this less of an issue if using my rose syrup. A good aromatic honey is important as you want the flavour, not just the sweetness. Dairy milk can easily be substituted with a milk of your choice if you’re vegan or dairy intolerant. Almond would be a good one to go with the Middle Eastern theme.
It’s important the drink is thickened slightly, or the nuts will sink. I didn’t want to use cornflour to do this, so I reached for my arrowroot. Arrowroot has a number of beneficial properties, is easy to digest, gluten free and low in calories.
This rose hot chocolate is fit for Anniversaries, Valentine’s Day or any other special occasion. It’s rich with honeyed notes and just a hint of rose and it’s not too sweet either. It has a velvety mouthfeel – smooth and unctuous. Topped with crunchy pistachios and almonds, it’s simply fabulous. It’s the best combination ever I reckon.
So raise your hot chocolate glasses and here’s to the next seven years.
Other Hot Chocolate Recipes You Might Like
- Caramelised white hot chocolate via Kavey Eats
- Chanukah gelt hot chocolate via Family Friends Food
- Gingerbread hot chocolate (vegan) via Tin and Thyme
- Matcha hot chocolate via Tin and Thyme
- Peppermint hot chocolate (vegan) via Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen
- Real spiced hot chocolate via Tinned Tomatoes
- Salted caramel luxury hot chocolate via Munchies and Munchkins
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this gorgeous honey & rose hot chocolate, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like to see more Middle Eastern inspired recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Honeyed Rose Hot Chocolate. PIN IT.
Honeyed Rose Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 300 ml whole milk
- 2 tsp arrowroot
- 25 g dark chocolate broken into bits (I used 85%)
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp rose syrup or rosewater to taste – be careful as it can be overpowering
- 10 g flaked almonds toasted
- 8 pistachios chopped
- 5 g dark chocolate grated (I used 85%)
Instructions
- Pour all but 2 tbsp milk into a pan and place on a low heat.
- Mix the arrowroot with the remaining milk until dissolved.2 tsp arrowroot
- Add the chocolate to the milk and stir until melted.25 g dark chocolate
- Using a small whisk, stir in the cocoa powder, honey and dissolved arrowroot.1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp honey
- Continue to heat the milk slowly, whisking occasionally until the mixture is smooth and has thickened slightly. The arrowroot needs to cook for a couple of minutes or so at just under a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the rose syrup.1 tsp rose syrup
- Pour into two small heatproof glasses or cups and top with the toasted almonds, pistachios and grated chocolate.10 g flaked almonds, 8 pistachios, 5 g dark chocolate
Belated, but happy Bloggy Biirthday – I think you found me on blogosphere when I wrote something about nasty nasturtiums – or was it the Navajo stew – anyway I am glad we found each other in blogopshere and met for real. And I’d love to try this Rose Hot Choc.
Ah, thank you Shaheen. You’ve got a good memory. I know I was following your allotment adventures with great interest, but can’t remember when. Very glad to have met you too.
I absolutely love the sound of this! So gorgeous and indulgent!
It really is Elizabeth and it has a lovely consistency as well as flavour – mmmm!
Mmmm hot chocolate is perfect for these cold wintry days!
It most definitely is Heidi and this is perfect for pretty much any special occasion 😉
Oh yes please Choclette. You’ve certainly tempted me. Much more exciting than my regular Cadburys Options. Thank you for linking to me 🙂
Haha, definitely more exciting than that. It does take a bit more effort than your average hot chocolate, but worth it for special occasions.
Congratulations, 7 years is amazing! This delicious, luxury chocolate drink is very special. Perfect for a winter celebration. GG
Thanks GG, it’s astonishing how the time goes. The occasion just had to be marked by chocolate.
Congratulations on 7 years! This hot chocolate sounds so decadent! Love the combination of flavors!
Thanks Jenn, this is my latest favourite hot chocolate 🙂
I am a complete hot chocolate junkie and this looks fab!
Haha yes Cathy, I just read your post saying you have three a day. Now that is true dedication 😉
This looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous! I’m honoured to have inspired you 🙂
Congratulations on your anniversary – here’s to the next 7 years (and beyond!)
H x.
Thanks very much Helen. It really is gorgeous and is now my go to luxury hot chocolate AND it’s in large part thanks to you 🙂
Happy blog birthday!! This recipe looks so delicious, can’t wait to give it a go!
Thanks Isabella, it’s really rather scary how quickly the years have gone. Luckily hot chocolate helps 😉
Happy 7 years of blogging! Love the sound of this hot chocolate and the glasses are lovely too! Yummed/stumbled/pinned/rated/flipped!
Thank you so much Sarah. Pretty sure you’re the only person that’s ever rated any of my recipes. Picked the glasses up in a local charity shop, they are the perfect size for a rich hot chocolate.
Happy 7 years of blogging! Love the flavour combination of your hot chocolate, sounds amazing!
Thanks Jemma. This hot chocolate is definitely my current favourite.
Happy Blogiversary Choclette. That’s a fantastic achievement and fantastic that you are doing so well and are still so enthusiastic and producing great and innovative recipes after 7 years.
I would never have thought of adding nuts to drinks either…… sounds delicious.
Thanks very much Kate. I’m really quite astonished myself at how long I’ve been blogging. Certainly not something I envisaged when I started.
Happy 7th Blog Birthday! Jo’s Kitchen is 7 as well in a couple of weeks. Gorgeous hot chocolate. I love the idea of adding honey to it
Thanks Jo, I didn’t know we started blogging at a similar time.
I’m a huge fan of anything rose flavoured. So going to try this.
Thanks Elinor. I only wanted a hint of rose, but you could always make it stronger if you’re a big fan.
Happy,happy blogiversary lovely – cheers to another 7 years!
Thanks very much Emma. Another 7 years is quite a scary thought.
Congratulations it is a nice award. Although we are not vegetarians I visit blogs like yours as well as we do have one meatless day a week .Nice chocolate!
Thank you Dzoli. I think more and more people are trying to eat a bit less meat, so lots are finding vegetarian recipes something they actually want to look at 😉
Amazing combination of flavours I have had rose nad chocolate in cakes but not in hot chocolate .I am definitely going to try next time.
Thanks Nayna, I think you’d like it 🙂
wow, congrats on 7 years. That’s an amazing achievement, You were one of my first blogs I read and have loved you ever since… love the rose and honey and chocolate combo. divine!
Ah thanks Dom *blushes*. The feeling is, of course, mutual.
Wow 7 years! Well done on that achievement. Your hot chocolate looks wonderful, I will have to try it one cold day very soon. Loving the flavours in there
Thanks very much Lucy, it does feel like a bit of an achievement. Do try the hot chocolate, it’s delicious.