Some chocolate & crunch
Melt some dark chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Grab a handful of hazelnuts, seal them in a sandwich bag and give them a good bash with a rolling pin. Tip the crushed nuts onto a plate. Dip your mug's rim into the melted chocolate, let it cool for a few seconds, then dip and twist into the nuts for a good coating. Into the fridge it goes while you make your latte.
Time to Whisk
Add 80ml of water at 80°C to 2g of Hojicha. Any hotter and you risk bringing out those bitter notes. Give it a vigorous whisk for a couple of minutes until you've got a delicate layer of glossy bubbles on top. Pour into your chilled, chocolate-rimmed mug.
Get Steaming
Heat 200ml of milk until steaming, but don't let it boil. We used the MORNING Dream Milk Steamer for beautifully silky, creamy milk at just the right temperature. Pour over your Hojicha, add a drizzle of honey and give it a gentle stir.
The Grand Finale
And there you have it. A rich, creamy Honey Hojicha Latte with a rather impressive chocolate and hazelnut rim. Now that's one worth taking your time over. Cheers.
STEP ONE
Take 4 tablespoons each of honey and tahini, and mix them together (this gives you more than you need, so you can come back for more later). If you're using a thick honey or you don't have a shaker, you can thin out this combo with a glug of water - give it a good stir and check you're happy it's still getting those sweet-sesame notes across.
STEP TWO
Grab a shaker, and pour in 400ml milk. Add some of the mixed tahini & honey - depending on your sweet tooth, you could take 1-3 tablespoons of the mix, as we found 2 tablespoons a decent middle ground when tasting.
STEP THREE
Chuck a few chunky ice cubes into a glass. If you've got extra time, drizzle/daub some extra honey around the inside of the glass. Fill the glass just-under-halfway with ice cubes, and then top up with milk to 3/4 full.
STEP FOUR
Now make your hojicha - take 2g of Hojicha and mix in 80ml of 80° water. Pour your hojicha into the milk, and some smooth & creamy deliciousness. We'll toast to that.
NOTE
Hojicha separates a little faster than matcha - and the sesame & honey paste can also do the same too, if left for a while. So keep a tall spoon or a straw on hand and give the drink a good stir as it happens - and enjoy watching everything swirl back into place.
