Here in Sorrento we are used to celebrate Carnival with a chocolate cream named Sanguinaccio from Sangue (blood).
In the past years it was a pig’s blood-based chocolate sauce but, when in 1992, the sale of pig’s blood was banned in Italy, the blood was more appropriately replaced by dark chocolate.
Now everyone in Italy finds the idea of freshly slaughtered pig’s blood disgusting but back in the day, this sauce was just a way to celebrate the time of the year (usually Carnival) where pigs where slaughtered in the countryside guaranteeing many months of meat supply.
Obviously there’s no blood in my recipe.
This sanguinaccio (from “sangue”, Italian word meaning blood) is a thick vegan (I used rice milk) chocolate sauce flavored with lots of cinnamon and vanilla. Simply delicious!

Ingredients

500 ml rice milk (or an other milk)
100 g sugar
125 g cocoa powder
50 g dark chocolate
50 g cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a saucepan, mix cornstarch with cocoa and sugar. Slowly add the milk while continuously stirring.
Put on the stove over low heat and cook stirring constantly. When the mixture has thickened (about 6-8 minutes) add cinnamon and dark chocolate cut into small pieces.
Cook for 2-3 minutes more while stirring. Remove the pudding from the heat and serve with cream, nuts or cookies. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.