STT 10: Creamy Cheesy Leek and Sprout Gratin & Parisian Hot Chocolate with Malty Caramelized Brioche Fingers

Warm dishes for chilly evenings and festive gatherings

Hi Everyone,

December is the month when everything seems to collide. Festive planning, end-of-year deadlines, present shopping (what the hell to get my dad?!) and a social calendar that always feels a little too full. It’s…..a lot.

When I make it into the kitchen, it’s usually to host and I need recipes that are comforting and celebratory, but don’t demand hours of my time. This week’s recipes are just that— simple, cosy, and casually boujee.

The Creamy Cheesy Leek and Sprout Gratin is exactly the kind of seasonal dish I love this time of year. Golden, caramelized leeks and gently sautéed Brussels sprouts are nestled in a velvety cheese sauce that bubbles and crisps in the oven. It’s cheesy and comforting, perfect as a vegetarian main or a side dish to complement your festive table.

For dessert, Parisian Hot Chocolate with Caramelized Brioche Fingers. These golden, toothsome, fingers are inspired by the honey butter brioche from Arome Bakery in London. They’re caramelised and crisp on the outside with a soft, tender centre—perfect for dunking into a rich, velvety hot chocolate. The brioche fingers (or milk bread or challah, if you prefer) are slathered with a malty honey butter before baking to create a deliciously caramelised crust. Literal perfection.

A little housekeeping: If you have questions about this week’s recipes, you’ll find many of them addressed in the recipe description and breakdown. I’ve included common FAQs there, as they were often being missed when placed directly under the recipes.

Have another question, suggestion or recipe idea? Drop me a message or leave a comment on this week’s edition- I always make time to reply, and love hearing from you

Enjoy,

Jess

Parisian Hot Chocolate with Malty Caramelized Brioche Fingers

Starting with dessert first, because, come on, how pretty is she! I loved making this and it was a real highlight in the kitchen this week. My savoury/dinner recipes get loads more traction on socials, and I love making them but I am a dessert person at heart.

Parisian hot chocolate is the epitome of simple elegance—exactly what the Parisians are known for. It’s just whole milk, dark chocolate, and brown sugar, yet its balance and richness feel luxurious. The magic is in its simplicity: get the ratio right, and you’ll end up with a silky, lip-coating drink that’s indulgent without being overwhelming. And listen, a generous pinch of sea salt is essential. It brings it all together, enhancing the chocolate and tempering the sweetness.

A little goes a long way here- espresso cups over mugs, please. The little cups feel oh so civilised for the season, plus they are perfect for dipping those buttery, golden caramelized brioche fingers.

Hot chocolate is such an underrated dessert option. We serve espresso and ice cream as a dessert all the time—why not a small, perfectly made cup of hot chocolate? It’s not overly sweet or heavy, just a little indulgence to round off a meal without overwhelming anyone. For festive gatherings, it’s perfect: you can serve it alone for a light and elegant finish or use it as a prelude to a larger dessert later in the evening.

Inspo credit here goes to this recipe on Bon Appetit.

Choosing Your Bread

For this recipe, you’ll want a buttery, light loaf like Japanese milk bread (shokupan), challah, or brioche. Cut the bread into thick slices to hold up against the honey butter and the dipping.

Why malted milk powder?

Think Horlicks or Ovaltine (for our U.S. readers)—the malty flavour works beautifully against the sweetness, adding depth and keeping the dish from feeling overly sugary. If malted milk powder isn’t your thing, feel free to substitute a generous pinch of cinnamon for a nostalgic, cinnamon-toast vibe.

Choosing Your Chocolate

Not all chocolate is created equal when it comes to hot chocolate. You’ll want a dark chocolate with a cocoa percentage of 65–75%. Anything lower might be too sweet; anything higher can veer into bitterness. Lindt is a solid, widely available option, but if you’re looking to level up, there are loads of small-batch suppliers worth seeking out for this recipe. Choose a chocolate with fruity or nutty notes. Check the label for tasting hints around 70% cocoa—the sweet spot for a rich yet balanced drink.

Why Salt?

This is Season to Taste after all. Salt is the secret to taking chocolate—and desserts in general—from good to exceptional. In the hot chocolate, a pinch of sea salt brings out the complexity of the cocoa, while in the honey butter mixture for the brioche, it tempers the sweetness and balances the richness. Think of it as the bridge between the sugar and the savoury notes, tying everything together.

Can this be made in advance?

The hot chocolate can be made up to three days ahead—just store it in an airtight container in the fridge and gently reheat before serving. For the brioche fingers, it’s best to make them fresh for the ideal texture. You can prepare the butter mixture and coat the bread earlier in the day, but bake the fingers just before serving so they’re warm, golden, and crisp. For ultimate freshness, use a good-quality loaf of brioche, challah, or shokupan. If shopping ahead of time, freeze the bread in slices and defrost what you need on the day—it’ll taste just as fresh as a newly bought loaf.

Customizing

The beauty of this dessert is its simplicity, but there’s so much room for creativity if you want to experiment. Here are some ways to customise the flavours and make it your own:

Hot Chocolate Variations

• Mexican Hot Chocolate: Add 1 tsp cinnamon + a pinch of chilli powder.

• Terry’s Chocolate Orange: Grate in clementine or orange zest as the milk heats.

• Vanilla: stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Alcoholic Twists: Bourbon, Whiskey, Grand Marnier

• Gingerbread Spice: Add a pinch of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Brioche Finger Variations

• Cinnamon: Replace malted milk powder with 1 tsp cinnamon.

• Pumpkin Spice: Add 1 tsp pumpkin spice mix to the honey butter

• Orange Zest: Add the zest of 1 orange to the honey butter. Pairs well with the orange variation above

Creamy Cheesy Leek and Sprout Gratin

From now until early spring, leeks deserve all the extra love. Mild, sweet, and versatile, they’re the kind of veg that turns a simple winter dinner into something special without much effort. While out of season in the summer, I also love them on the BBQ marinaded in a little olive oil, salt, garlic and lemon.

This gratin brings two lovely seasonal veg together. The leeks get a hard sear in olive oil until golden and caramelized, while the sprouts are softened just enough to keep some crunch. Then comes the creamy, cheesy sauce—rich with Dijon and nutmeg, and spiked with gruyere and parmesan. Indulgent, cheesy, perfectly festive- all the things we love, right?

For the sprout sceptics out there, this dish might just change your mind. Serve it as a vegetarian main for 4 (follow the vegetarian notes), where roast potatoes mopping up the sauce feel downright celebratory, or as a side dish to complement your holiday feast, stretching to serve 8.

Choosing the Cheese

The cheese selection can shape the gratin’s entire flavour profile. In this recipe, we use Gruyère and Parmesan for a balance of mild nuttiness and sharp umami depth. Gruyère is a semi-hard cheese with a slightly sweet, nutty taste that melts beautifully, while Parmesan, aged to develop complex umami notes, enhances the richness of the dish.

If you’re looking for alternatives, mature cheddar is an excellent choice, offering a sharper tang—just use slightly less, as it’s more intense than Gruyère. For a similar nutty profile, try Comté or Emmental as European substitutes. In the U.S., Jarlsberg could work well. Avoid overly processed cheeses like American cheese, which lack the complexity needed for this dish, or strong-flavoured options like blue cheese, which would overwhelm the delicate flavours of the leeks and sprouts.

Keeping it Vegetarian

If keeping the dish vegetarian, ensure you use cheeses made with vegetable rennet. Supermarkets often label these as “Parmesan-style” or “Italian hard cheese,” suitable for vegetarians. Gruyère also has vegetarian-friendly alternatives. Double-check the packaging or consult your local cheesemonger to ensure the cheese aligns with dietary preferences.

Mustard Subs

The Dijon mustard in the recipe adds a subtle tang and depth to the sauce. whole-grain mustard can. be subbed and would offer a textured, mild flavour. The mustard is a gentle background flavour here- it won’t steal the spotlight, but it’s what makes the dish come together. Its gentle tang cuts through the richness of the cream and cheese, adding balance and depth without overpowering.

Avoid using English mustard or American yellow mustard here; their aggressive heat and sweetness, respectively, would overpower the creamy, cheesy sauce.

Can this be made in advance?

Absolutely. You can prep most of this dish up to three days in advance. Sear the leeks, lightly sauté the Brussels sprouts, and mix the cream and cheese sauce. Layer everything in your baking dish, wrap it tightly, and store it in the fridge. On the day of your event, simply pop it into the oven for the final roast, letting it bubble and crisp for 25 minutes. This makes it a stress-free side or vegetarian main for your festive table.

Parisian Hot Chocolate with Malted Honey Butter Brioche Fingers

Serves 4-6 • Time: 10 mins prep, 20 mins cooking

Ingredients

For the Malted Honey Butter Brioche Fingers

50g softened butter

50g brown sugar

20g honey