If you think you know real hot chocolate…
Think again.
And if you think Swiss Miss is real hot chocolate, drop whatever it is you are doing right now and immediately get to a kitchen so that you can try a thick and luxurious mug of hot chocolate that will rock your world, challenging everything you thought you knew about hot chocolate.
True Italian hot chocolate is thick, rich, and so smooth it’s almost like drinking a liquid chocolate bar.
My first encounter with Italian hot chocolate, or cioccolata calda, was nine years ago during a Christmas vacation spent in Italy. I wrote more about the trip in my post with the Healthy Tiramisu Recipe.
You couldn’t pick a better time to visit Italy than in December—it lets you avoid the summer heat and sweltering crowds; and you’re offered a fantastic excuse to warm up every afternoon by popping into a café for some real Italian hot chocolate.
Italian Hot Chocolate (Cioccolata Calda)
Adapted from Healthy Hot Chocolate
- 5 oz of your favorite dark chocolate, shaved
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sweetener of choice, or to taste
- additional 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 2 1/2 tsp cornstarch, such as non-gmo Rapunzel
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
(Note: If possible, use a milk with some fat for a richer result.) In a small saucepan, slowly heat the chocolate with 3 tbsp of the milk on low. As soon as the chocolate begins to melt, turn off the heat and stir until completely melted. Add salt, sweetener, and the remaining portion of the 1 cup of milk, and turn heat to low-medium, stirring. In a small dish, whisk together the 1/2 cup cold milk of choice with the cornstarch until dissolved. Slowly add this to the hot chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk for about another minute. Then turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and serve. This gets even thicker as it sits, and it is very rich, so you don’t need a giant cup. True Italian hot chocolate should be bittersweet; add more sweetener if a sweeter chocolate is desired.
Link Of The Day:
Chai Banana Bread – with Pumpkin Cream Cheese
I went to Italy a few summers ago and loved it! I can only imagine how wonderful it would (hopefully “will”) be to go in the winter and skip the summer heat and enjoy hot chocolate like this 🙂
Oh my! I love to prepare special and different coffees and hot chocolates at home and this one looks so luscious and delicious, perfect for cold days!
=)
“It’s almost like drinking a liquid chocolate bar”. According to the recipe, it looks like it literally is bahahaha!
This summer I’m planning on going to either Italy or Japan for a study abroad trip. Would you be willing to give me a few tips on ’em if I emailed you? I’m so nervous dietary-wise, ESPECIALLY if I get to go to Japan. And I know you haven’t spent much time in Italy, but you’ve obviously spent way more time than me and also have the roots. Help a sistah out!
hi Eva, where in Italy will you be? There is a lot of italian food that can be or already is vegan, but the key is asking detailed questions and giving detailed information. Saying you don’t have milk might not be necessarily be understood that you don’t have cheese or dairy products either. Saying you don’t eat meat doesn’t necessarily exclude fish and so on… So ask a lot of questions and if something isn’t clear, ask again.
Familiarize yourself with the italian words for the products you are trying to avoid. Make a card with basic sentences, if you don’t speak any italian, that say something like “I don’t eat :” and then list the things you don’t eat. There will be plenty alternative and most restaurants, if they are not full and busy, would make a special dish or point out dishes that are vegan.
There are a lot of vegan resources out there, in italy and on italian web sites, if you speak the language it’s not hard to find places and tips. There are italian health food stores in a lot of town and cities, and they would be able to point you to vegan resources. Basic thing to remember: enjoy yourself. You’ll be eating amazing food!
Sorry I cannot help you with Japan.
Daniela
Ohhh myyyyy!! This is scrumptious!! You must have been reading my mind, because I’ve totally been craving something like this lately! Yum, thanks for the recipe. Happy Valentines Day!
XOXO,
Ashley Diana
http://www.LipstickandBerries.com
Instead of starch and sugar you could just blend dates with the milk. I just blend everything, heat it up and dissolve the chocolate.
Since cashew or almond cream thickens when heated, replacing the milk with these creams is also a good idea. Just richer and so good.
This looks delicous! I can’t wait to make it with whipped cream piled high.
Hi Katie!
Just writing to say your cookbook is awesome! My husband is currently on a plane but my valentines is still great thanks to the itunes rental of the week being a chick flick and your delicious peanut butter banana popsicles in my hand. 🙂
what is the white stuff in the middle?
I’m guessing it’s coconut whipped cream
Yes! 🙂
It was delicious! Thanks Katie!
THANK YOU, KATIE! I tried this and it was so good I could cry. I used potato starch instead of cornstarch (still trying to use up last year’s Passover leftovers before Passover this year…sigh…) and shared it with my sister, who loved it, despite her not being such a chocolate fan. I might have put in a little too much chocolate, as I used a combination of a chocolate bar and chocolate chips, but no complaints here!