The Best Hot Chocolate with Black Sesame Marshmallows

Big homemade marshmallows will make every thing better.

Seasons greetings from Ohio! I’m home for the holidays and we arrived just in time for a beautiful snowfall with fluffy snowflakes. My parents’ house feels like a log cabin (a Chinese log cabin?) and with all my mom’s Christmas decorations up it feels especially cozy. The perfect environment for a fancy-ish hot chocolate moment. We’re gearing up for a big dim sum Christmas party with family this weekend and I’m considering making a big batch of hot chocolate and black sesame marshmallows for the occasion because I know everyone is going to love it. This is truly the best hot chocolate I’ve ever sipped on and I hope you feel the same way when you make it.

Homemade black sesame marshmallows is what sets this hot chocolate a part from the rest. The earthy, nuttiness of the black sesame paste helps balance out the sweetness of the marshmallows and when it melts into the hot chocolate each sip is just heaven! Chocolate and sesame is an iconic flavor pairing in my opinion.

There are a few different ways to make marshmallows. It’s simply whipped gelatin, water, and sugar. The sugar in this recipe is agave nectar, but you can also use corn syrup if you have that on hand instead. I make a lot of margaritas, hence why I always have agave nectar in the pantry. The most important step is making sure to heat the agave until it reaches 230-degrees F (the thread stage of sugar). Then you pour it into the gelatin and water and let your standmixer do all the work. Once your bowl is full of marshmallow fluff you can go in so many different flavor directions. If you don’t have black sesame paste, tahini or regular sesame paste will give you a similar flavor.

These Big Black Sesame Marshmallows are also excellent as a simple sweet treat on their own or roasted over a fire for a life-changing s’more.

I love all hot chocolates. The Swiss Miss packets of my childhood hold a special place in my heart, but I believe the best hot chocolate you can make is with good quality dark chocolate. I like to use a bittersweet chocolate, anything above 70% cocao, and melt it in the microwave (mine has a “melt chocolate” button and it makes life so easy) or over a double boiler. You really need to melt the chocolate first, rather than add the chocolate to the milk because it has a tendency to clump or even seize up if added directly to hot milk. The melted chocolate is mixed into a base of milk, sweetened condensed milk for a subtle sweetness, and a pinch of salt. This makes a rich hot chocolate that’s not too thick but plenty decadent. On its own, the hot chocolate isn’t too sweet because it's meant to be paired with the marshmallow. If you like your hot chocolate a little thinner, add another cup of milk or water. Everyone has their own hot chocolate ideals! And this is mine!

Black Sesame Marshmallows

Makes about 10 large marshmallows

60g (1/4 cup) water

20g (2 tbsp) gelatin powder

230g (2/3 cup) agave nectar

32g (1 1/2 tbsp) black sesame paste

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/4 tsp coarse salt

powdered sugar, for dusting

neutral oil, for brushing

black sesame seeds, for coating

1. Brush a standard loaf pan with neutral oil and line it with a sheet of parchment paper, enough so that the paper overhangs the two longer sides to help remove the marshmallows later. For thinner marshmallows, use an 8x8-inch pan instead.

2. In the bowl of your standmixer (fitted with the whisk attachment), mix to combine water and gelatin. Allow the gelatin to bloom and thicken while you heat up the agave. In a small saucepan, heat the agave over medium heat until it reaches 230-degrees F. Turn the mixer on low and slowly steam in the agave. Once all the agave has been added, increase the speed to high and mix until very fluffy and voluminous, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Turn off the mixer and add black sesame paste, vanilla, and salt. Mix on high speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Over mixing at this point will cause the marshmallow fluff to deflate too much. The mixture should take on a gray color and still be voluminous. Transfer the fluff to the lined loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and allow the marshmallow to set up at room temperature for at least 6 hours or overnight.

4. Dust a cutting board with powdered sugar. Loosen the edges of the marshmallow by sliding a knife along the edges without parchment paper. Lift the marshmallow out and flip onto the dusted cutting board. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Dust the top of the marshmallow lightly with powdered sugar. Brush a sharp knife with oil and cut the marshmallow into squares. For extra crunch, dip one of the cut sides into black sesame seeds. Store the marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

The Best Hot Chocolate

Serves 2 to 3 

4 oz bittersweet chocolate

3 cups milk

1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk or sugar

Pinch of salt

1. Transfer the chocolate into a heat-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate either by microwaving in intervals of 15 seconds, mixing in between, until smooth (be careful not to burn the chocolate, my microwave has a chocolate melting function) or melt over a double boiler (placing the bowl of chocolate over a simmering saucepan of water). 

2. In a medium saucepan, mix to combine milk, sweetened condensed milk, and salt. Heat the milk over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the melted chocolate. Whisk until the hot chocolate is very smooth. If the hot chocolate is too thick for your liking, add an additional cup of water or milk.

3. Pour the hot chocolate into mugs and top with a black sesame marshmallow. For an extra toasty finish, caramelize the marshmallow with a blow torch.