Spiderweb Hot Chocolate

The spiderweb pattern that I decorated my Pumpkin Tart with is an eye-catching design that is perfect for celebrating Halloween. I made a video tutorial that explains how to replicate the design, and in it I mentioned that you can use the technique with things besides pumpkin tart filling. For instance, you can use two colors of glaze or ganache to decorate cookies or cakes. You can also use chocolate syrup to top a homemade mocha or hot chocolate with a spiderweb to dress up the drink.

I think of this as a do-it-yourself kind of latte art, which you typically find only in coffee shops. It is done by carefully pouring steamed milk into shots of espresso to create an intricate pattern or design. It takes practice to do it well, and unless you have an espresso machine at home to practice on, it can be difficult to learn the technique yourself. This particular design is done using a swirl of chocolate sauce on top of steamed milk or softly whipped cream. Like the pumpkin tart design, once your chocolate swirl is in place, you simply drag a toothpick through the milk or cream, starting at the center of the cup and pulling towards the rim. The result is a spooky spiderweb that will take your drink to the next level.

A few tips for recreating this design:

• If you do have an espresso machine, steamed milk is a great way to go for this design. The steamed milk has tight bubbles that easily support the chocolate syrup.
• If you are using whipped cream, stop whipping it just before it gets to soft-peak stage, so that the whipped cream is soft enough to hold the spiderweb pattern.
• Only use a small amount of chocolate syrup, or it might sink to the bottom of your cup!
• You can use this technique on any kind of hot chocolate or mocha.
• Finally, watch the tutorial and see how easy the pattern is to make.