miso hot chocolate

Every night I look towards my mother, giving her a knowing smile. She nods, and then we drink miso hot chocolate. 

Servings: 1

Time: <5 minutes

Recipe:

1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 - 2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp WHITE miso

3-4 tbsp hot water

3/4 cup oat milk

1. In a microwaveable glass, mix cocoa powder, maple syrup and miso until a paste forms.

2. Add hot water and dissolve paste. 

3. Add oat milk.

4. Heat in microwave for 1.5-2 minutes. 

If you are doubling the recipe, heat for 2-2.5 minutes.

5. Mix gently and enjoy! Voila ground beans, fermented beans, sap, and grains!

Notes:

• First, I would like to thank @ericasfoods for turning me onto @chez.jorge ‘s lazy hot cocoa recipe--which includes miso. I originally was not going to write up a recipe post because my recipe does not deviate a lot from chez.jorge’s recipe. But over the course of a few weeks, I tinkered with measurements and ingredients.

There were no intentional recipe tests because this drink was merely a sweet evening comfort that quickly became a nightly ritual for my mom and myself.

Sometimes I added 1 tbsp maple syrup, and other days 2 tbsps. When I was craving a lighter drink, I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which is less viscous than oat milk. One day I subbed cacao powder, but I thought it made the drink a little more bitter and less rich. (In other words, cacao powder made it taste like a wellness’ blogger’s version.) Another day, I subbed coconut sugar, but I realized I enjoyed the earthiness of the maple better. Looking back at the unintentional testing I did, my miso hot choco does present a different drinking experience than @chez.jorge’s recipe, which I think errs on the side of too rich and too sweet. I am an ingredient economist and flavor maximalist. 

• Use ONLY white miso. Chez.jorge’s recipe calls for brown miso, which more salty, more strong, and less sweet. Brown miso is fermented for longer. While I’ve seen community members successfully substitute different misos in the Tofu recipe, I don’t think a darker miso will substitute well. The difference here is that white misos are commonly used for light marinades and soups while darker misos are used for heavy sauces. I technically use Hawaiian-style white miso, which is even less salty and more sweet than regular white miso.