A small amount is plenty

White chocolate contains sugar and cocoa butter rather than the cocoa solids that give dark chocolate its bitterness. In coffee it adds sweetness and a creamy note, so this recipe needs no separate syrup. Twenty grams is enough to make the flavour noticeable without turning the glass into a melted confection.

Choose a bar that melts smoothly and chop it finely. Large squares can cool the espresso before they have fully melted, leaving soft lumps. A baking product designed to keep its shape in cookies may behave differently, so a plain eating or cooking bar is a better starting point.

Expect a homemade finish

As the drink cools, a little cocoa butter can become visible as fine flecks or a light film. Thorough melting and gradual mixing reduce this, but a homemade drink may not remain as perfectly uniform as a bottled one containing stabilisers. Stirring before drinking is more useful than repeatedly heating and cooling it.

The milk goes in two stages: a small amount loosens the chocolate coffee, then the rest fills the serving glass. Do not pour the hot mixture directly onto the ice if you want the measured proportions to remain consistent. Give it the short cooling time first.

A strong espresso helps keep the drink recognisably coffee-flavoured. If you substitute a weak brew, adding more white chocolate will only make it sweeter rather than restoring the missing coffee character.

What you'll need

  • 60 ml hot espresso
  • 20 g white chocolate, finely chopped
  • 140 ml cold milk
  • 100 g ice cubes

Let's make it

  1. Put the finely chopped white chocolate into a heatproof cup. Pour over the hot espresso, leave for 30 seconds, then stir until the chocolate is melted. If a few pieces remain, stand the cup in warm water and stir; do not microwave in a metal-trimmed cup.
  2. Stir in 40 ml of the milk, then cool the cup in a shallow cold-water bath for about 15 minutes.
  3. Fill a glass with ice and add the remaining 100 ml milk. Pour in the cooled white-chocolate coffee and stir from the bottom. Serve at once.

Make it your own

Decaffeinated espresso works here. Dairy-free white chocolate is a separate product with different melting properties; check its instructions and use a suitable plant drink if substituting.

Keeping it fresh

Make for immediate serving. Keep any untouched extra mixture covered in the fridge at 5°C or below and use within 24 hours, subject to ingredient dates. Expect it to need stirring; do not store with ice.

Allergen notes

Contains milk in both the drink and most white chocolate. White chocolate commonly contains soya and may carry nut warnings.