Recipe: Dark Chocolate Pudding

23 Feb Recipe: Dark Chocolate Pudding

This is the pudding I grew up eating… I can whip it up in 15 minutes or so… 10 on a good day… and for the life me I can not make instant pudding that is not lumpy, which is a good thing cause compared to this EASY to make (I promise, after practicing a few times, this recipe just flies) I can’t stand to eat instant pudding.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sugar, organic really is better… nudge, nudge
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk (don’t substitute, I’ve tried, trust me)
• 5 egg yolks (make omelets with the whites, ya know – to make up for the pudding with whip cream)
• 3 tbsp butter, cut into small peices
• 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate (like Baker’s Brand 100% cacao) stuck in the microwave for 30 seconds and stirred to thick liquid. DO NOT over nuke!
• 1 tbsp Mexican Vanilla, if you can get it, double strength like Penzey’s will work

Directions:

1. In a medium sized, heavy bottomed, scratch resistant sauce pan mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt with a wire whisk.
2. Add 1/4 cup of milk and whisk to a paste
3. Over high-heat – whisk in the rest of the milk and then the eggs. Whisk until no yellow streaks remain and then keep whisking continuously until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble deep slow bubbles  – sounds weird, but you will see what I am talking about. DO NOT stop stirring – it will burn on the bottom. (You can do like all the other recipes say and cook it over medium heat, slowing stirring… I ain’t got that kind of time or patience)
4. Once it starts to bubble, keep stirring – count to 60  in your head then take it off the heat. Don’t just turn the heat off… move it to another spot.
5. Stir in the butter, chocolate, and vanilla – keep stirring until all the butter is melted and the chocolate is evenly mixed in.
6. Pour into a 3 cup bowl – cover with a plate – stick in the fridge to set.

Tip: You can use this as pie filling – just pour it into a baked pie crust (preferably NOT one of those store bought graham cracker things.) You can also spoon it into 6 individual bowls. I think most recipe say to wrap in plastic wrap – I don’t believe in plastic wrap, its terrible for the environment, I would rather have cracks on the top of my pudding and just cover it with whip cream.
Whip Cream:
Put 1 cup of whip cream, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a blender – turn that baby on – and whip it up till there are those beautiful whip cream peaks – ’bout a minute. (check it at 45 seconds – cause you really don’t want to make butter)
JJ Note: I have been known to serve this pudding warm out of the pot into a bowl with the whip cream melting on top… I really do prefer it this way to any other.
Thanx for the pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23701579@N00/437069665/