Monday, February 14, 2011

Cookish: Something Sweet

Chocolate Pudding
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 60% Cacao Ghiradelli chocolate baking bar (4 oz), chopped into small pieces
½ teaspoon espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
½ cup half-and-half
1 1/4 cups half-and half, mixed with 1 1/4 cups skim milk

Microwave butter and chocolate in bowl on 50-percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 4 minutes. Stir together espresso powder and vanilla extract in small ramekin. In a large saucepan, whisk cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in yolks and 1/2 cup half-and-half until fully incorporated, making sure to scrape corners of saucepan. Whisk in milk and half-and-half mixture.

Place saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly until mixture starts to thicken, about 4 minutes. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until bubbles appear over entire surface, 2 to 4 minutes longer. It will be considerably thicker at this point. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla mixture.

Pour pudding through fine-mesh strainer into bowl. Place plastic wrap against surface of pudding, and place in refrigerator to cool, at least 4 hours.

If you've never made homemade pudding, I urge you to try this. ALso, I recommend eating a serving before chilling--it is insanely good warm.

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