Fall is in full swing in the bay area right now. It’s getting dark earlier and the air is much crisper. To combat this weather change, I’ve taken to hot chocolate! While I’m no snob when it comes to hot chocolate (I’m no stranger to those instant Swiss Miss packets), I really wanted to try making some Italian Hot Chocolate. Their hot chocolate is WAY different than ours and very wholesome and thick.

With only a few ingredients, you’ll be on your way to making some Insanely Rich Italian Hot Chocolate!

Insanely Rich Italian Hot Chocolate
Makes 1 rich serving

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 ounces of 70% cacao dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Chop your chocolate into small pieces. This will help ensure it melts smoothly.

2. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the corn starch and 1/4 of a cup of the half-and-half. Mix until smooth (this is notorious for clumps so be mindful!)

3. In a saucepan on the stove set to low heat, pour in the rest of the half-and-half (1/2 cup) and let it simmer. Then, begin to mix in the sugar.

4. Once the sugar is mixed in, mix in the cornstarch/half-and-half mixture too and let it thicken a little. You may not notice it thicken right before your eyes, so wait about a minute or two.

5. Then, remove from heat. Add in the chocolate pieces and mix until smooth.

Now you’re done! Serve with marshmallows, whipped cream, extra sugar, or whatever the heck you want to add to your hot chocolate, and prepare to be blown away by how rich this hot chocolate is! It’s not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure.

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Yum