Rich White Hot Chocolate Recipe

Vanilla Cream:

1. Sprinkle the cornstarch over half a cup of the milk in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add sugar and egg yolks and whisk well. Bring remaining 2 cups milk and vanilla bean just to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over low heat.

2. Remove the bean, scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk, and discard the bean. Gradually whisk egg yolk mixture into milk. Cook, whisking often, until sauce comes to a full boil.

3. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now. Strain through a wire sieve into a bowl. Serve warm.

Hot Chocolate:

1. Boil the cup of milk and stir in chopped chocolate chunks. Add vanilla cream and whisk until smooth.