Italian Style Hot Chocolate
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In our family, we had a simple Christmas Eve tradition of serving hot chocolate with candy canes to everyone. Of course, there's nothing wrong with using those Swiss Miss hot chocolate packets...but once you've discovered how easy it is to make homemade hot chocolate, you may never be satisfied with those hot chocolate packets ever again. The big difference between the typical hot chocolate and Italian style is, Italian hot chocolate is so thick and rich, it's almost like drinking a very thin chocolate syrup. And this is our holiday tradition. Merry Christmas, everyone.
Pans needed: 2 quart saucepan. 3 small bowls or ramekins: one for the chopped cholate (if you're chopping it yourself), one for the corn starch mixture and one for the cocoa powder.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk, separated (1/4 cup of milk at the beginning, 1 cup of boiling milk later. And 1 cup of cold milk to mix into the hot chocolate at the end.)
- 1 teaspoon corn starch (potato starch is even better, if you have it)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into pieces; or 3 1/2 ounces dark sweet chocolate chips
If you're chopping up milk chocolate for this dish, do it first. Place the chopped chocolate onto a dish or into a small bowl, and keep it in the refrigerator until it's time to use it in the cocoa. If you're using chocolate chips, then of course you don't have to chop them up.
In a small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon corn starch until smooth. (Potato starch is even better, giving the cocoa a velvety smooth consistency.) Sift the cocoa into a medium bowl, then add the sugar and whisk together.
In a saucepan, heat 1 cup milk until boiling. Reduce heat to low.
Whisk in the milk/cornstarch mixture. Add the cocoa sugar mix, a little at a time, while continually whisking until smooth. Add the chopped chocolate and whisk for approximately 3 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add extra milk and keep stirring until it is at the right consistency. Remember, this is a very thick cocoa!
Serve immediately. Optionally, add candy canes and/or marshmallows.