Cioccolata Calda
Italian-Style Hot Cocoa
This recipe brought back great memories of when I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Coffee has it’s own religion over there and the espresso is the everyday preference to start your morning off right. Hot cocoa, however was one drink I never tried. Wine, pasta and coffee had a higher priority than cocoa. So with that, I decided to make Cioccolata Calda #4 on my to do list of cocoas to try. I have to admit that I was a little over chocolate by the time I made this one. Since this hot cocoa was last on my list, I decided to change it up a bit. The instant espresso was an after thought that I knew would not only taste good, but would cut the sweetness without making it bitter or boring. I normally drink my espresso with a dollop of vanilla gelato, but due to the blizzard, I was unable to go and get any, so I used the Chantilly cream I had left over from my Parisian cocoa recipe. This was very smooth with a nice blend of bitter coffee and rich chocolate that was enhanced with the sweetness from the Chantilly cream. I was surprised at how thick the consistency ended up being from the espresso that I added to the cocoa. It was a creamy delight of chocolate coffee heaven.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp. Cocoa Powder
- 1 tbsp. Instant Italian Espresso
- 1 ½ tbsp. White Sugar
- 1 ½ c. Whole Milk
- 2 tbsp. Milk
- 1 tbsp. Cornstarch
Directions:
- Mix the cocoa powder, instant Italian espresso, and sugar together in a small saucepan. Stir the 1 ½ cups milk into the saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Place over low heat; slowly bring the mixture to a low simmer.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons of milk together with the cornstarch in a small cup; slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the cocoa mixture. Continue cooking, whisking continually, until the hot chocolate reaches a pudding-like thickness, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve with a scoop of whipped cream or vanilla gelato.