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Italian Hot Chocolate (Cioccolata Calda)

This Italian Hot Chocolate or Cioccolata Calda is a thick and creamy chocolate drink that has minimal ingredients, is comforting and easy and quick to make. 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2 mugs
Calories: 663kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate chopped
  • 1 cup whole milk divided
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tbs sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • In medium sauce pan add 3/4 cup milk, heavy cream and sugar and heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and it starts to bubble around the edges (about 7-8 minutes).
  • In a small container whisk together your remaining 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch together.
  • Once your milk, cream and sugar mixture has started bubbling whisk in your cornstarch mixture and heat again for about 1 minute.
  • Add in your chopped chocolate and whisk over medium heat until chocolate melts and it thickens (about 5 minutes).
  • Remove from heat and whisk in your vanilla extract (this is optional) until combined.
  • Pour into mugs and serve with whipped topping and chocolate shavings if desired.

Notes

  1. For a stronger dark chocolate flavor use chocolate that has at least 60% cocoa, for a sweeter less dark chocolate flavor use anything less than that.
  2. You can change up chocolate using dark, semi-sweet, milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate and even white.
  3. I recommend using baking bars for this that are chopped up, they are higher quality and melt better, stay away from chocolate chips.
  4. Do not heat your milk too fast, this will scald and burn your milk, do not go over medium heat on this recipe at any given time.
  5. If you want a thicker Cioccolata Calda then add a little bit more cornstarch to the mixture, 1 tsp at a time, if you want a thinner consistency just add a little bit more milk or cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 527mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 1101IU | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 4mg