Our adult daughter and I did the Italy tour bus thing for a week that included New Year's in 1998. We were in Florence one bitterly cold morning for us at least (from S. Florida) and everybody went into a little coffee shop to have something hot to drink while we were touring. DD absolutely hates coffee in any form so she decided to order the hot chocolate. It took FOREVER for them to make. Me and the other 3 we were with were all on our second cup of cappucino or espresso when it finally came. Oh my, it was like molten chocolate and she was in heaven. We all had to have a taste. It was worth every single minute it took to get it. We all wanted to take it away from her. This recipe from a chocolatier that was on Paula Deen's show is the closest I've been able to come to it.
Vanilla Custard:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Hot Chocolate:
7 ounces (2 chocolate bars) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup milk, boiled
Directions
Sprinkle the cornstarch over about 1/2 cup of the milk in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add egg yolks and sugar and whisk well.
Over low heat, in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring the remaining 2 cups of milk and the vanilla bean just to a simmer. Remove the bean, scraping the vanilla seeds into the milk, and discard the bean. Gradually whisk the egg yolk mixture into the milk.
Cook until the sauce comes to a full boil, whisking often, about 3 minutes. If using vanilla extract, stir in now. Strain the mixture through a wire sieve into a bowl.
Add the chopped chocolate chunks to the vanilla cream and a boiled cup of milk. Mix until smooth. Serve hot.
The semi-sweet chocolate can be substituted with milk or white chocolate.
Since it is so rich and there is only 2 of us now, I usually make the whole recipe, let what's left cool, refrigerate and reheat as needed over the next day or 2.
Sometimes you also have to add more milk to thin it out as otherwise you have thin but very rich chocolate pudding, but it should be a very thick drink.