Italian
Silvia’s Masterclass
From
Silvia’s Masterclass
season
1
Italian-style Espresso Hot Chocolate with Almond Cookies
With
Silvia Colloca
Ingredients
For the coffee
Serves 2
2 tbs Dutch cocoa powder
80 g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
2 scant tablespoons cornflour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
500 ml (2 cups) milk
2 shots of freshly brewed Illy espresso coffee
2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
For the almond cookies
makes 18
2 egg whites, at room temperature
170 g caster sugar, plus extra for rolling the cookies in
300 g almond meal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
18 blanched almonds
Method
Combine the cocoa, caster sugar, cornflour, vanilla in a small saucepan.
Pour in 3 tablespoons of the milk and whisk until the mixture turns into a sticky, dark brown paste. Slowly add the rest of the milk, whisking enthusiastically as you go to prevent any lumps from forming. Add the espresso shots and stir through.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Reduce the heat to low, add the chocolate chips and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes or until the hot chocolate starts to thicken. Turn off the heat, serve hot.
Preheat your oven to 160°C fan forced, 180 C conventional
Place almond meal in a large bowl, add sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and egg whites and mix with your hands to form a paste.
Shape the paste into balls, roll them in the sugar, then gently push your thumb into the middle of each ball and top with a blanched almond
Place the cookies in a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the base of the amaretti looks firm and slightly golden.
Cool them on a rack for at least 10 minutes before eating
Silvia Colloca
Silvia Colloca is an Italian-born food writer, opera singer, TV producer and host. She has authored seven cookbooks, including Silvia’s Cucina, Made in Italy, La Dolce Vita, Love, Laugh, Bake!, Simple Italian (2024), and The Italian Homecook (2025), all published by Penguin.
Silvia’s most recent television work is Silvia’s Italian Masterclass (Channel 10), with its latest season airing in October 2025. The series is currently funding for Season 4. She has also appeared as a special guest on SBS’s Mastermind in 2025. Her earlier TV credits include the SBS Food series Cook Like an Italian, which has screened internationally across three seasons, as well as Made in Italy with Silvia Colloca (SBS), filmed on location in the Le Marche and Abruzzo regions and earning her a 2015 TV WEEK Logie Award nomination for Best New Talent. She also co-wrote, co-produced and hosted the ABC prime-time series Silvia’s Italian Table in 2016.
Outside of food and television, Silvia has enjoyed a career as a celebrated opera singer and actress. In 2022, she released her debut solo classical album with Universal Music, which topped the Classical Charts for over 20 weeks. That same year, she performed with Andrea Bocelli at his Sydney concert, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Inspiration Starts Here
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