This weekend I'm off to visit my sister in Switzerland and when asked if she wanted anything from Italy she asked me for cioccolata calda. Italian cioccolata calda is a whole different animal from the hot chocolate we're used to in the US. It is much more dense, less sugary and coats the mouth (and the belly) with a rich gooey chocolatey taste. In the US we're accustomed to ripping open a packet of Swiss Miss (complete with those dried-out crunchy mini marshmallows), adding hot water and BOOM hot chocolate, but Italians aren't known for such pre-packaged quick fixes. I've only ever had this treat in bars here and never having seen anyone make it at home I had to do a little research into how it's prepared.
- 1/2 liter milk
- 100 g dark chocolate (<70 % cacao)
- 50 g sugar
- 10 g potato starch
- whipped cream
Melt the chocolate, some of the milk and sugar together in a saucepan at low heat. When the chocolate is melted and the mixute looks homogeneous slowly add the rest of the milk while stirring. Add the potato starch and stir well. Remove from heat one it has reached the desired density. (If you want it really dense you can add even more potato starch to thicken the pot..!) Pour it into the cup and add the whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with cocoa powder on top and voilà!
