Chocolate Risotto

Chocolate Risotto:
This chocolate risotto is creamy and absolutely divine. Unlike making traditional risotto which involves a lot of stirring, this dessert is mostly hands free. Arborio rice is cooked in milk along with vanilla until tender and then chopped Perugina dark chocolate is stirred into it to make the most luscious chocolate risotto ever.

Recipe is from Giada's cooking show. She flavored her 'Chocolate Rice Pudding' from orange zest, but I used vanilla bean. Orange and chocolate is a lovely combination and I would probably try this pudding with Perugina Orangello dark chocolate next time I make it. I topped the pudding with some chopped Baci and it provides nice nuttiness to the otherwise creamy texture.

Prep Time - 10 minutes

Cook time - 30 minutes
Chill Time - 2 hours

Total Time - 2 hours 40 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients:

• ⅔cup Colavita Arborio Rice
• 4½cups Milk (2% or whole milk is best here)
• ⅓cup Sugar
• 1 Vanilla pod, seeds scraped
• 1tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa powder
• 2oz., Perugina 51% Premium Chocolate, grated
• 2 Baci, chopped (for garnish)

Method:

1. In a saucepan, combine arborio rice, milk, scraped vanilla bean and the vanilla pod. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the sugar, cook till it melts and the mixture thickens a little bit, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder and grated chocolate. Mix well until the chocolate is melted.
4. Cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chill for 2~3 hours before serving and garnish with chopped Baci.