Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Spread sugar on your baking sheet and heat it in the oven for 5 minutes until the edges start to melt.

While your sugar is in the oven put your egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (it should be grease-free) and start whisking first on slow and then on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Your sugar should be ready by now. Take it out of the oven and turn the temperature to 200F/100C.

With the motor of the stand mixer running start adding hot sugar to the egg whites 1 tbsp. at a time, avoid large caramelised clumps of sugar. Hot sugar dissolves much quicker in egg whites. Your goal is to have a smooth, free of grit mixture. Rub a small amount between your fingers to make sure sugar is completely dissolved.

Load the meringue mixture into a piping bag and pipe a bite-sized kisses using a plain tip or a star tip. It's your choice. Squeeze, pull and release. Don't worry if they are not perfect and uniform. Mine weren't!

Dust a tablespoon of cocoa over meringue kisses.

Bake for 40-60 minutes depending on the humidity outside. As soon as you can peel them easily off parchment paper they are done.

Pour milk in a medium saucepan, add spices and vanilla.

Bring to a simmer slowly allowing milk to infuse with spices.

When milk is just about to simmer (you see first small bubbles) add chopped chocolate and stir with a wire whisk, continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted and well incorporated into milk. It will take about 2 minutes.

Immediately take off the heat and serve.

Pour in small cups and top with a meringue kiss.