Italian Hot Chocolate Recipe - Thick and Decadent! (2024)

FAQs

Why is Italian hot chocolate so thick? ›

Italian hot chocolate is thicker, creamier, and generally much richer than traditional American hot chocolate, which is less dense and milkier. It is made with a few key ingredients: cocoa, sugar, and milk. In some cases, a little dark chocolate and a thickening agent, such as cornstarch, are added as well.

Cornflour/Cornstarch: Mix a small amount with cold milk or water to create a smooth paste. Whisk this into your hot chocolate towards the end of the cooking process until it thickens.

French hot chocolate, or chocolat chaud, is similar to the Italian version in that it has a very strong cocoa flavor. Several gourmet hot cocoa recipes include brown sugar for a complex, deep sweetness, while some contain only milk and chocolate! In comparison, ciocolatta calda stands out in its richness and thickness.

In mainland Europe (particularly Spain and Italy), hot chocolate is sometimes served very thick due to the use of a thickening agent such as cornstarch.

European chocolates, with their smoother, richer flavor, use European butter and cream, which has a higher fat content. To accentuate the smoothness of the chocolates, Europe also uses more cocoa butter, further accentuating the difference in taste.

Un Dimanche a Paris

Aptly named 'a Sunday in Paris', this velvety chocolate chaud is a great shout and nestled amongst forward-thinking chocolate recipes you'll want to take home.

If the hot chocolate doesn't thicken, add a slurry of cornstarch and milk (dissolve ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch in a tablespoon of cold milk) to the hot chocolate and continue stirring over medium high heat until slightly thickened.

Nail the Texture

Digging into hot chocolate theory, I discovered that cornstarch is sometimes added to hot chocolate mix to help give it a creamy consistency.

Although hot chocolate doesn't necessarily need an even more creamy, decadent taste, using milk certainly enriches the experience. We suspect that milk adds a creamier taste than water alone, and when combined with the notes of chocolate, the smooth undertones of the milk simply add a delicious backdrop.

A popular and fine Italian chocolate is “cioccolato di Modica,” made in Sicily. The tradition of chocolate making in Sicily came about centuries ago when the natives were taught the traditional process by Spaniards, beginning by collecting cacao beans (more about their influence on Sicilian Cuisine in this post).

Does Italy have good hot chocolate? ›

Although drinking chocolate or hot chocolate is common all over Europe (and the world) this Italian-style hot chocolate stands out for its thick creamy, texture as well as its richness. You may think something this decadent is made with heavy cream, but it's not!

noun. (substance) cioccolato ⧫ cioccolata.

There are other reasons why Hershey's chocolate tastes different than Cadbury. American chocolate tends to contain less cocoa and more sugar than comparable candy from Europe. The milk in European chocolate is also heated at higher temperatures, which produces caramelized notes missing from products in the States.

Italy is another European country that loves its thick hot chocolate. Their version of hot chocolate uses heavy cream and milk like the French. But unlike the French, they go an extra step by adding cornstarch to thicken the mixture even more. The result is a pudding-like consistency that is still pourable.

Real hot chocolate is rich, thick, and creamy. It's almost like you're drinking a liquid chocolate bar or ganache.

Chocolate seizes when it comes into contact with even a small amount of liquid or moisture during the melting process. This is because the water causes the sugar in the chocolate to dissolve and then form a syrup, which binds the cocoa particles together, creating a grainy, thick, and clumpy texture.