Cioccolata Calda | Italian Hot Chocolate

Cioccolata calda, topped with softly whipped cream, served in tiny tumblers by potter Gabrielle Schaffner

Italian hot chocolate lies somewhere in that magical realm between beverage and spoon dessert. It is made with a combination of milk, cream, and cocoa powder, with just a little sugar and cornstarch stirred in so that it is very dark and thick, barely sweet and with a bitter edge.

This recipe makes two cappuccino-size cups of hot chocolate, or three smal…