un cioccolata calda, per favore

Its been a pretty chilly winter here in Oregon. I can't say its been white or freezing but its a nice change up from the dry summer that we had. In the spirit of winter themed recipes, my mind is reminiscing on a delicious Italian hot chocolate that I had when I was living overseas. I want to share that recipe with you.

Picture it, Sicily December 2010. In the small town of Monterosso Almo, my friends and I venture off from our tour group to poke around the village. It was the night of the living nativity and the town was bustling with people. Walking through the labyrinth that was the streets where locals lived, we stumbled upon an empty piazza away from the busy city center. The air was calm and quiet, a beautiful cathedral adorned with statues and lit up for the holidays stood tall in front of us. It was a pretty cold evening and we were in the need for something to take the chill off. Across the piazza was a small cafe that was calling our name. We decided to check it out.

Inside was dimly lit but quaint and inviting. In my elementary italian, I ordered the only thing on the menu that I could understand, “un cioccolata calda, per favore.”  We found a corner booth and sat down for a bit. It was nice to get away from the crowds and just enjoy each other’s company. A few minutes later, the man returned with a cup, a spoon and with what looked like chocolate pudding. Being an American I was expecting a mug of watered down chocolate cocoa mix. But this, this was something special and I am forever ruined.

Italian style hot chocolate is rich, thick and velvety. It can be found, mainly around the holidays and colder months, in cafes and restaurants all over Europe and in different variations. While it’s pudding-like, it is in fact not a pudding as it is made without eggs as a thickening agent. In America, we commonly associate hot chocolate with a powdered mix that you add to hot milk or water. Traditionally speaking, hot chocolate would be made with hot cream or milk and chocolate. While there is really no wrong way to make a cup, the European method may be the most decadent version you will ever put in your mouth.

This recipe for Cioccolata Calda will make enough for 4 servings. You will need to gather a few common ingredients:

• 2 cups of half & half
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 6 ounces of dark chocolate, at least 70% bittersweet shaved into shards
• and a pinch of salt.

First things first, shave chocolate into shards or roughly chop if you have chips just small enough to aid in melting. The smaller the chocolate, the quicker the gratification. At this point you can also split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds out with the back of your knife, set this aside. Next, add the sugar and cornstarch into a medium bowl and whisk together thoroughly.  Slowly pour in half of the half & half and whisk together vigorously. This will help prevent clumping later when the cream is hot. Pour remaining half & half into the sauce pan, add vanilla seeds, and place over medium heat. Keep an eye on this, cream burns and boils over quickly. Once steam is appearing from the cream, pour over the cornstarch mixture. Carefully cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes just up to a boil and thickens, this should take about 2-3 minutes. Once you’ve come to a boil, remove immediately from the heat. Add your chocolate, and a pinch of salt. The salt brings out the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness.  Stir gently with a spoon to melt the chocolate and incorporate the flavors.

If you’d like to warm your cups before serving, pour hot water into serving cups. This will keep the cups warm while you’re preparing the beverage. Dump the water out just before serving and dry with a clean towel, then pour about ½ cup of hot chocolate into each cup. Feel free to top this with freshly whipped cream and shaved chocolate. I hope that I’ve been able to share a bit of an Italian Christmas treat with you. Salud! Cin Cin! Buon appetito e Buon Natale!