Italians Cook It Better 
Italian Classics 
Occasions 
- Preparation time
- 30
- Cooking time
- 15
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 fl. oz 100 ml Espresso Coffee
- 1 pint 500 ml plus extra to decorate Double cream
- 5 fl oz 150 ml Milk
- 1/2 oz 15 gr White flour
- 2/3 oz 25 gr Unflavored gelatin in sheets
- 3 1/3 oz 100 gr Sugar
- 4 4 Egg Yolks
- 1 2/3 50 gr Almonds
- 5 fl oz 150 ml Bicerin Vincenzi Chocolate cream liquor
Preparation
Soften the gelatin sheets in a tea cup full of water. Soon before incorporating it to the mixture, put the tea cup on the microwave 750W for 20 seconds then stir until it melts completely.
In a large saucepan, heat milk and expresso coffee. Avoid boiling.
In a bowl, whip the egg yolks with sugar and the white flower, until they become creamy and yellow.
Gently pour the hot milk and coffee mix, working well with a whisk. Transfer the mixture in the saucepan again and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it appears thick and smooth. Avoid boiling once again.
Remove from heat and set apart to cool down for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Pour the gelatin into the mixture and stir well.
Whip the double cream and gently incorporate it to the mixture.
Pour two tablespoons of creamy chocolate liqueur over each serving bowl. Divide the mousse mixture into the individual serving bowls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Serve chilled, sprinkled with chopped white almonds.
Notes
Bicerin in a gianduia cream liquor (basically chocolate dissolved in alcohol) belonging to the ancient culture and tradition of Turin, which has been served in the city cafeterias since the early nineteenth century, as documented by the best gastronomic literature.
Around the middle of the nineteenth century, Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour states that Bicerin is by far his favourite drink; from that moment on, Bicerin is to become the typical drink of Turin, so much so that tourists cannot help but taste it during a visit to Turin.
Its recipe was originated in the early 1800s when coffee and cocoa were too expensive to be imported from overseas countries; Piedmont being a region rich in hazelnuts, started to cut the chocolate with hazelnuts to reduce costs and from this mixture was born the “gianduiotto” chocolate and, indeed, our liqueur Bicerin di Gianduiotto. From those days, the recipe has never changed. For those who are not from Turin or northern Italy, the word “bicerin”, in our dialect, means small beaker.
