Ingredienti
for 4
[ 100 g | 3.5 oz ] 100% cocoa (unsweetened) chocolate
[ 400 ml | 2 c ] milk
[ 150 ml | 1/2 c ] cream
[ 50 g | 7 tbsp ] sugar, or to taste
[ 20 g | 3 tbsp ] cornstarch, or to taste
[ 50 g | 8 tbsp ] powdered milk, or to taste (optional)
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Ricetta
Hot chocolate, the Italian way. It should be as thick as a loose pudding.
Bring the milk and cream to a simmer then reduce heat so it stays hot but doesn't boil. Add the chocolate cut into bits, sugar, and powdered milk if using.
Mix the cornstarch in a bowl with a bit of water. Add to the milk while whisking. Continue mixing until the hot chocolate is uniform. Taste and adjust for sugar, cornstarch slurry (to thicken), and powdered milk (to round off the bitterness).
Serve hot with whipped cream.
Notes: proteins from the powdered milk bind to the bitter alkaloids in the chocolate to remove the bitter taste. I like my hot chocolate more bitter than most people but this recipe allows you to modulate the bitterness to your taste (as opposed to one which starts with a lower percentage chocolate).
Consider spicing with cinnamon, orange zest, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, hazelnuts, almonds, chili, anything else you like.
For a richer hot chocolate consider using egg yolks, instead of cornstarch, as the thickening agent. Put 4-6 egg yolks in a bowl. After the milk reaches a simmer whisk the egg yolks while very gradually adding about 1/2 a cup of the hot milk. Pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk. Proceed as before.
Copyright © 2001-2009 Gianmarco Pinton
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