This Luxurious Italian Hot Chocolate with Kirsch and Hazelnuts is thick, creamy and the best chocolate fix ever!
This post was sponsored by Hotel Chocolat’s Tasting Club.
Have you ever tried thick Italian hot chocolate? It’s almost custard-like in texture, but like, 5 million times better than custard (and I love custard).
Made with an embarrassing amount of chocolate, it’s just the thing for a weekend treat.
I’ve made it a few times before. Regular chocolate flavour is perfectly delish, but I like to add in a little extra flavour. Sometimes orange, sometimes peppermint……..
………..this time kirsch and hazelnut
Inspired by one of the chocolates in the Hotel Chocolat subscription box I received recently (Cherry Hazelnut Daiquiri flavour), I went with the addition of kirsch in the hot chocolate plus kirsch-soaked cherries and chopped hazelnuts on top.
Figuring out a chocolate themed recipe to go with a box of chocolates might have been my favourite task of the week!
A great idea as an Xmas gift for chocolate lovers, the Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club Subscription box has some brilliant flavour combinations. Banoffee pie, Peach & Jasmine and Raspberry Pannacotta to name but a few.
I’d also like to tell you how much I enjoyed the little chocolate gemstones that came free with the box. But unfortunately Gracey scoffed them.
In fairness to her, I’d left them open in the kitchen, and she was doing the washing up for me at the time, and she is a chocoholic like me. But even so!!
I’ll remember to hide my chocolate next time!
Fortunately the rest of the box of chocolates, along with this Italian hot chocolate were enough to give me my sweet fix.
Serve it as a dessert, or tell yourself it’s a drink (that you need to drink with a spoon ????) either way, this one isn’t for sharing!
And if you have any chocolates left (didn’t happen in our house) you could always make some of these.
 The Luxurious Italian Hot Chocolate with Kirsch and Hazelnuts Recipe:
Luxurious Italian Hot Chocolate with Kirsch and Hazelnuts
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 150 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) milk (semi-sweet) chocolate chips
- 4 tsp kirsch
- 480 ml (2 cups) milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 4 tbsp cold water
To Serve:
- 4 tbsp whipped cream
- 8 kirsch cherries from a jar of cherries soaked in kirsch, threaded onto two cocktail sticks
- 2 tbsp hazelnuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- Place the cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips, kirsch, and milk in a small saucepan. Heat over a low heat, stirring slowly until the chocolate is melted and the liquid is hot, but not boiling.2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp sugar, 150 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) milk (semi-sweet) chocolate chips, 480 ml (2 cups) milk, 4 tsp kirsch
- Mix the cornflour with four tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl to make a slurry.2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch, 4 tbsp cold water
- With the hot chocolate still over the heat, slowly pour in the cornflour mixture a little at a time, whilst stirring with a whisk, until you get a thick, but pourable consistency (like custard).
- Pour the hot chocolate into two cups and spoon on the whipped cream. Sprinkle on the chopped hazelnuts and place a cocktail stick with the cherries on top. Serve immediately.4 tbsp whipped cream, 8 kirsch cherries, 2 tbsp hazelnuts
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hotel Chocolat. The opinions and text are all mine.
Gorgeous thick hot chocolate, so comforting.
Why are you calling this thick hot chocolate? Why not call it what it is…chocolate pudding?
Hi Kayla,
I live in the UK (presuming you’re in the US?) – we don’t refer to pudding in the same way. Do you serve your pudding hot? If so, then certainly they may be similar.
However, the hot chocolate is based on the classic Italian Hot Chocolate – ciocolata calda.
Thanks, Nicky
If you’ve never had it in Italy……. This is exactly the consistency of their ciocolata calda.
Hi Nicky,
I am in love with your post.
Hot Chocolate and Hotel Chocolat box = Heaven!
Thank you for the recipe.