The White Velvet Winter
By Chef Gordon Ramswine
What it is:
A luxurious hot milk drink for people who consider ordinary hot chocolate a failure of ambition.
This silky winter cocktail combines roasted pear, browned honey, cardamom, vanilla and cognac. It is elegant, warming and just dangerous enough to make central heating seem unnecessary.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS (Serves: 4)
• 750ml full-cream milk
• 250ml cream
• 2 ripe pears, peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons runny honey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• Finely grated zest of ½ orange
• Small pinch of sea salt
• 120ml cognac or quality brandy
• 40ml white chocolate liqueur
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 thin pear slices, for garnish
Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the pears and two tablespoons of honey.
Cook gently for 8–10 minutes until the fruit is soft, golden and beginning to caramelise.
Add the milk, cream, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest and salt. Warm slowly for 10 minutes without allowing it to boil.
Remove the cinnamon and cardamom. Blend until completely smooth, then strain through a fine sieve for a polished, velvety finish.
Return to low heat and stir in the remaining honey. Remove from the stove before adding the cognac and white chocolate liqueur.
Pour into warmed glasses or elegant cups. Finish with grated nutmeg and a paper-thin slice of pear.
Menu Description & Serving Notes.
RANSWINE’S NOTES
Serve
Serve beside a fire while wearing something unnecessarily expensive.
Non-alcoholic version: Replace the cognac and liqueur with 120ml pear nectar and ½ teaspoon almond extract.
It is warm milk after finishing school, acquiring property and making several extremely questionable friends
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