November weather is dark and dreary, and has me craving a nice warm Bicerin. Bicerin (bee • SHEH • reen) is the official, historic drink of Torino.  The Bicerin was invented in 1763, at the newly opened Caffè Confetteria Al Bicerin in Piazza della Consolata.

Al Bicerin’s strategic location opposite the Santuario della Consolata, where the King and Royal Family attended Mass on Sundays, made it a popular spot and the beverage became well-known.

The secret recipe is made with local dark chocolate, espresso and frothed fior di latte, and served in a small stemmed glass.  The drink is actually named after the glass, Bicerin being local dialetto for bicchierino, meaning small glass. The glass is clear so that all 3 layers are visible.  A Bicerin is not supposed to be stirred, so that the temperature and texture of each layer can be tasted separately and blend on the palate.

The facade of Al Bicerin is still original and stepping inside is like travelling back in time. The counter, the cabinet filled with glass jars of Confetti and the woodwork is from the 19^th Century.

I went to Al Bicerin twice while I was in Torino.  Since the weather was nice, I sat outside both times, but the inside is inviting and cozy.  Perfect for a cold, wet November day. The photo below was taken just before closing.

Count Camillo Cavour, the first Italian Prime Minister always sat in the same corner on his daily visit to Al Bicerin. Now there is a photo of him in his angolo. Other famous patrons include Picasso, Puccini, Nietzsche, Alexandre Dumas, Umberto Eco, and Ernest Hemingway, who apparently called the Bicerin one of the 100 things in the world worth saving!

A fun fact about Caffè Confetteria Al Bicerin is that since 1763, it has always been managed by women!

In 2001, the Bicerin was finally recognized by the region of Piemonte as a traditional Piemontese beverage. Order with a plate of local cookies, which can include canestrelli, torcetti, krumiri, savoiardi and baci di dama.

Bicerin is now served in all of the historic caffè places in Torino but it will be slightly different than the original recipe at Caffè Confetteria Al Bicerin, located at Piazza della Consolata 5 in the Quadrilatero area.

Other historic places to have Bicerin in Torino include:

Baratti e Milano- Piazza Castello 29

Caffè Torino- Piazza San Carlo 29

Caffè Fiorio- Via Po 8/C

Farmacia del Cambio- Piazza Carignano 2

Pepino Piazza Carignano- 8

Pfatish Via Paolo Scacchi- 42

I did some experimenting at home to try and reproduce a Bicerin.  My final product did not taste or look exactly the same, but it was delicious, and the taste-testing ‘research’ was fun.  It takes a bit of juggling to have all 3 layers ready to assemble at once, so do not get discouraged if the first attempt does not look pretty.

Cristina’s attempt at Bicerin

Ingredients:

• 60 ml (2 oz) light cream*
• 60 ml (2 oz) chopped 70% dark chocolate, ideally Venchi or other quality brand**
• 60 ml (2 oz) freshly made espresso doppio/double shot
• 60 ml (2 oz) frothed whole milk or light cream (must be cold)*

A 300-360 ml (10-12 oz) clear, heat-proof stemmed glass

Instructions:

• Prepare heat-proof glass by warming with hot water
• Prepare caffettiera for espresso
• Pour light cream* and chopped chocolate into a small pan over low heat and whisk until thick.  Meanwhile, make espresso
• Shake milk/cream in a small jar for 2-3 minutes

Assemble the Bicerin:

• Pour hot chocolate into warm glass
• Using the back of a spoon, carefully pour espresso towards the side of glass
• Carefully add shaken milk/cream
• Do not stir!

*Consistency wise, there is no North American equivalent to Italian fior di latte (milk cream) or panna (cream).  I experimented using combinations of whipping cream and milk.  My best results were using a mixture of half whipping cream and half whole milk (3%).  This is what I recommend using for both the hot chocolate and the topping. 1 part whipping cream and 2 parts whole milk also works.

**A Torino produced chocolate such as Venchi is best to use.  I used Guillard as it was the best good quality chocolate I had available.

Espresso cookies go perfectly with Bicerin.  Buon appetito, Cristina