The thought of enjoying a hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day is a nostalgic one for many.
That includes Stefano De Martini, owner of Brooklyn’s Caffè De Martini, whose family owned a Torino chocolaterie in Piedmont, Italy.
"Being from Torino and my family owning a chocolaterie, allowed me to treat myself all the time, especially during winter time,” he tells Appetito.
The drink makes him think of his grandparents — and their love for chocolate.
"My grandfather always gave cioccolata calda to me after school in the afternoon as a merenda (Italian snack),” he says. “This was a great motivation to go back from school to home as soon as possible."
Now, he offers the drink at his own Caffè De Martini. He hopes it brings customers the feeling of warmth and welcome that home often provides.
And his cioccolata calda brings an experience that goes well beyond the hot chocolate packets many in the United States consumed as children.
"You can actually taste the flavor of chocolate. It’s rich and very dense, most of the time you have to spoon it. Italian chocolate is for real chocolate lovers,” he says. "The concept is similar in America but the actual drink is completely different, and for me that was enough reason to introduce it in my community. It feels like a melted dark chocolate bar, how can you not love it?"
While De Martini uses a machine his family brought stateside from Italy, he shared a version of his recipe with Appetito for at-home use.
Cioccolata Calda: Italian Hot Chocolate
8
servings5
minutes5
minutesIngredients
1/2 gallon 1/2 whole milk
700 g 700 chocolate powder
8 8 scoops pure dark chocolate powder
7 7 scoops potato starch or cornstarch
Directions
- First, warm milk in a pot
- Pour the chocolate powder slowly and mix it with kitchen whisk to avoid lumps
- Once smooth, add the dark chocolate and mix until smooth
- Slowly add the cornstarch and mix with the kitchen whisk or you can use a spatula to break up the lumps
- Continue to warm, the liquid will begin to thicken
- Depending on how thick you want it, add additional scoop of starch
Notes
- The secret is to always have the milk warm enough before adding ingredients. Continue to mix to avoid lumps.
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