Warm up with an extra special cup of Italian hot chocolate this winter. This isn’t your typical instant hot chocolate, but instead a rich and thick drinking chocolate that is everything hot chocolate should be. In Italy, drinking chocolate is commonly known as cioccolata calda or cioccolata densa for its dense pudding like texture that can be enjoyed with a spoon. Add an extra Italian flair by serving in a handmade ceramic mug from Modigliani. Available in a variety of colors, styles, and patterns, one is sure to fit your style.

DECADENTLY THICK ITALIAN HOT CHOCOLATE

Cook Time - 15 mins

Time to Make It - 15 mins

This hot chocolate isn't for the faint of heart. It is rich, thick, and full of real chocolate. This is the kind of hot chocolate you make when you want to truly indulge!

Author: Rachel Farnsworth of Blog The Stay At Home Chef

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
2. Whisk in cornstarch until combined and melty. If you want the hot chocolate thicker, use the maximum amount of cornstarch.
3. Add in milk and sugar. Increase the heat gradually to medium-high. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Mixture will start to thicken.
4. Once the mixture begins to thicken, turn the heat down to low and add in the chocolate chips. Stir constantly until well melted.
5. Serve hot. Keep the leftovers because it is also amazing, if not better cold!

Notes

For this recipe, you can adjust the darkness of the chocolate by what kind of chocolate you put in. I like to do a mixture of semi-sweet and milk chocolate, but you can go lighter with all milk chocolate, or darker with a combination of semi-sweet and bittersweet.

This recipe is in courtesy of: The Stay at Home Chef