CHOW.com asked chefs from a handful of our favorite restaurants to create better versions of seasonal lattes, with quality ingredients. Here’s former Spot Dessert Bar chef Pichet Ong’s interpretation. It’s a cross between a pudding and an eggnog latte, with condensed milk foam and a hint of passion fruit. See more latte interpretations.

  • Yields: 8 drinks
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 20 mins, plus cooling time 
  • Active: 20 mins 

Ingredients (13)

For the pudding base:

  • 116 grams semisweet chocolate (3/4 cup)
  • 1/16 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 1/16 teaspoon salt
  • 60 grams bourbon (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
  • 90 grams sugar (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
  • 150 grams condensed milk (1/2 cup), save the rest for the milk froth
  • 2 passion fruit purées (sometimes found in Whole Foods’ frozen food section)
  • 8 teaspoons fleur de sel (Maldon is recommended for its flaky texture)

For the condensed milk froth:

  • 475 grams milk (2 cups)
  • 160 grams condensed milk (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon)

To assemble:

  • 8 (1- to 1.5-ounce) espresso shots

Instructions

For the pudding base:

  1. Heat the oven 350°F.
  2. Melt chocolate, nutmeg, and cinnamon over a double boiler.
  3. Whisk in yolks, salt, and bourbon and set aside to cool.
  4. Whip whites until frothy. Gradually add sugar until soft peaks are formed.
  5. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
  6. Divide condensed milk among heatproof coffee mugs or ramekins, about 1 tablespoon each. Top with 1 teaspoon of passion fruit purée each. Pour chocolate mixture over that, about halfway up the cup.
  7. Bake in the oven until the tops of the puddings are dry to the touch but the chocolate mixture is still slightly jiggly (5 to 10 minutes). Once cooled, top off with a pinch of fleur de sel or Maldon salt.
  8. Once baked, keep cups warm on top of an espresso machine or oven turned on, covered if longer than 4 hours.

For the condensed milk froth:

  1. Combine ingredients and heat on the stove to about 180°F.

To assemble:

  1. Pour one shot of espresso (1 to 1.5 ounces) over each pudding base.
  2. Using a hand blender, blend condensed milk froth until foamy. Spoon froth onto the cups all the way to the top, about 1/3 cup each serving.
  3. Serve immediately with a teaspoon, which can be used to stir up the mixture into a creamy, messy drink.