Nun's Revenge

Annacia's Note:

Fabulous Italian hot chocolate! A life of piety and chastity has to call for something sensual occasionally. Yes, you can enjoy the seductive chocolate flavor and thick creaminess of this Italian hot chocolate without fearing the loss of other worldly pleasures, but this confection is sure to elicit a moan from all who partake. Drinking any of the great Italian-style hot chocolates is almost a religious experience. Over and over again, people who taste this drink for the first time say, "Oh, my God." Is that enough encouragement to give this one a try? Don't overlook the importance of the orange zest or the arrowroot. The oil from the zest gives the chocolate a fresh kick, and the arrowroot thickens the mixture. Servings: Serves 2 in cappuccino cups or 4 in espresso cups.

• Total Time: 5 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 1/2 cup half-and-half, plus
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot
• 1 tablespoon sugar (or to taste)
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (at least 70 percent cacao)
• 2 -4 slices orange zest (to garnish)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the half-and-half with the arrowroot, whisking until smooth.
2. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium heat.
3. Bring to a simmer and when the half-and-half begins to bubble around the edges, whisk in the sugar.
4. Whisk in the arrowroot mixture until the half-and-half thickens slightly, usually less than a minute.
5. Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the chocolate until smooth.
6. Pour into cups, top each with a piece of orange zest, and serve immediately.

Reviews

[Mia in Germany]

This was fantastic! I used to make this with cocoa powder, but it's so much better with chocolate. Thanks for posting!! Made for Comfort Cafe Snow Queen 2010.

[Bonnie G #2]

Wow Jelly; I'd been looking for this recipe ever since my DGSs came to visit us in Italy. They ordered hot chocolate every where over there and fell in love with it. Could not find anything even close until this one popped up. DGS #1 actually found it and was so proud of himself. It's very thick decadeant, and rich - I recommend serving in small cups (which is probably why the recipe made such a small amount) as it's VERY rich. I did add a tsp of vanilla to help cut down some of the bitterness of the chips and topped with whip cream. My 2 boys where in chocolate heaven. It's so thick and creamy you can actually eat it with a spoon which is exactly like the ones they had in Italy. Thanks for posting you made the boys day.

[2Bleu]

Yummy! The orange zest does add a wonderful flavor to the chocolate. We used cornstarch in lieu of the arrowroot, but after 2 minutes it would still not thicken up, but it did not hinder the flavor at all. We too used a mix of dark and milk chocolates and the chocolate flavor was great. This is a great hot chocolate recipe. Thanks for sharing. ~Buddha