This chocolate pudding has been around. It’s a recipe from my friend Heather Miller, and it has been seen and eaten at any restaurant where she has worked, any restaurant where I’ve worked, and at a couple of places run by friends who asked to use it.
We call it pudding but there’s no cornstarch to thicken it, no skin on top to poke through. No, this is just a rich crème Anglaise with lots of chocolate added, enough to thicken the mixture as it chills to a spoon-clinging custard that melts in your mouth almost like a truffle.
You can top it with plain whipped cream, or one infused with any number of flavors (coffee, hazelnut, orange, ginger, coconut, tea) or sweetened and spiked with booze. I particularly like it with Bourbon.
Stove top custards can be a little tricky if you have never made one. The cream is heated and then slowly added to egg yolks and sugar, and then this mix is cooked gently, with constant stirring, until it thickens slightly. It must not boil, and I’m serious about the stirring part; use a wooden spoon or a heatproof silicon spatula (not a whisk) and stir the custard continuously, keeping in constant contact with the bottom of the pan and moving around the entire pan, including the edges. Unless you are already a custard expert, cook it over slowly over low heat. It will thicken, I promise.
Since this is really all about the chocolate, be sure to use one (or several) that you really like. Heather likes a mix of dark and milk chocolate, but you can adjust the ratio to your taste, keeping in mind that you may need more or less sugar.
Unlike most puddings, which are chilled in individual servings, this one is easier to divide up after it has thickened. Still, you can have it portioned and ready to serve hours or even a day or two in advance..
Chocolate Pudding
7 oz high-quality, bittersweet chocolate (55-60% cocoa content)
1 oz high-quality milk chocolate
2 c heavy cream
5 egg yolks
5 T granulated sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/8 t salt
1/2 T unsalted butter
1. Chop the chocolates and put them in a heat proof bowl that will be big enough to accommodate the finished custard when the time comes. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, taking care that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t actually touch the water. Heat the chocolate, stirring regularly, until completely melted and smooth, then remove it from the heat and set aside.
2. Place a fine-meshed strainer over a clean, 1-quart measuring cup or bowl and set aside. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the cream until steaming hot (try not to let it boil). In the meantime, put the yolks in a medium mixing bowl.
3. When the cream is ready (and not before), add the sugar to the yolks, whisking constantly for about 30 seconds. Then slowly add the hot cream to the yolks, whisking constantly until thoroughly combined. Return the egg and cream mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof silicon spatula, until the mixture has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Immediately remove the cooked custard from the heat and pour through the fine-meshed strainer into the measuring cup or bowl.
4. Let the custard cool just slightly, for about 5 minutes, and then add it to the melted chocolate, stirring gently and thoroughly until smooth and completely combined. Add the butter, vanilla, and salt, and stir until the butter is melted.
5. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. It can be made up to 3 days in advance.
6. To serve, scoop the pudding into cups or glasses and top with whipped cream.
serves 4-6, depending on how you portion it
Let me know if Dad likes it, Cheryl.
Very nice…Love the first picture. My dad, who’s currently visiting, is a chocolate pudding fanatic so this is awfully timely! I’ll see if I can whip this up while he’s here…thanks for sharing.
Nice coincidence: I madie a nearly exact version of this pudding earier today at a cooking lesson in Paris (Atelier des Chefs). We put it into a verrine, topped with a sablé sized to fit the verrine, and then with coffee chantilly made in a siphon. Delicious. As you say, this is a very versatile base.
this blog makes me hungry!