- Coffee
- 18 g
Turin's treasure: thick hot chocolate, espresso and barely whipped cold cream in three layers in a small glass. You don't stir it: you drink through the layers.
By Equipo Cocinoa
What you need
Tap each piece to see its catalogue entry.
- EssentialEspresso coffee makerWater to 9 bars of pressure through fine and pressed coffee. Here are the machine types, from the lever to the double boiler.€150–3500approx.View on Amazon
- RecommendedEspresso grinderElectric grinder with very fine adjustment, designed for espresso. It matters more than the machine itself.€150–700approx.View on Amazon
- RecommendedCazoThe oldest and most simple method: coffee and water in a bowl, rest and decantation. It serves for the puchero coffee, the cowboy coffee and even the Turkish.€10–30approx.View on Amazon
- Optional0,1 g baseA scale with precision of 0,1 g and timer. Weighing coffee and water is the easiest way to repeat a good cup.€15–250approx.View on Amazon
- OptionalThermometerTo know what temperature the water, milk or grain are at. Useful if your kettle does not regulate and almost compulsory to toast.€8–30approx.View on Amazon
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No Espresso coffee maker? This works too
- Italian coffee maker (moka)€20–60The life-long stove coffee maker: the steam pushes the water through the coffee. Intense, with body and very cheap.
- Portable espresso€130–350Hand and compact equipment, type Picopresso or Flair, that reach the pressure of the espresso without electricity. To travel or to begin.
- AeroPress€35–55A plastic cylinder with plunger: immersion and a soft pressure. Versatile, resistant and almost unbreakable. Ideal for travel.
Method
Whip the well-chilled cream only until it thickens and forms soft ripples: it should still pour. Keep it in the fridge.
Warm the milk in a saucepan over a low heat with the cocoa and sugar, if using, stirring until there are no lumps.
When it starts to steam, add 40 g of chopped chocolate and stir constantly, without letting it boil, until you have a smooth cream that coats the spoon.
4 min
Warm two small glasses of about 150 ml with hot water, dry them and share the chocolate between them.
Make two 25–30 ml espressos (see the ‘Espresso’ recipe) and pour each one very slowly over the back of a teaspoon resting against the glass, so it settles on top of the chocolate.
Finish with the cold cream, also poured over the spoon, grate the reserved chocolate on top and serve without stirring.
Tips and warnings
It is Turin's signature drink and is linked to a historic café opposite the Consolata sanctuary, where it has been served for more than two centuries. ‘Bicerin’ means ‘little glass’ in Piedmontese.
- Don't stir it: the whole point is tasting the hot chocolate, the coffee and the cold cream in every sip.
- Over-whipped cream sits like a cork; runny cream sinks. Aim for the texture of drinking yoghurt.
- Check the chocolate label if there are allergies: many contain milk or traces of tree nuts.
- No machine? Use a very short coffee from a moka pot.
One last thing
Hot below, cold above and no stirring allowed. The only thing you can mix with a bicerin is a ko‑fi.