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My Chocolate Pudding

Pudding
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From Pure Dessert, by Alice Medrich


This has been my chocolate pudding for close to a decade, with the recent addition of 10 seconds in the food processor at the finish. The pudding is a little richer, more bittersweet, and a little less starch-bound than the pudding I grew up with, but it is definitely more pudding than pot de creme or custard. The set is soft and the texture both dense and light. Even when chilled, it "spoons" beautifully, so to speak. The processor step, with my thanks to Dorie Greenspan for a sensational idea, adds a silken dimension and lightness to the texture. You can vary the intensity of the chocolate flavor by choosing a more or less bittersweet chocolate, ranging from 50 percent cacao on up to 70 percent or so. You can also increase or decrease the sugar to your taste. Whipped cream on top is very nice.

serves 6 to 8

2 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup (1.1 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer natural)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 pinches of salt

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I like to use a 70 percent bittersweet),chopped medium-fine

SET THE FOOD PROCESSOR near the stove. Have a whisk, a heatproof (silicone) spatula, and a ladle on hand. In a medium bowl (preferably glass or crockery, because it is heavy and will stay put when you whisk in the hot pudding), whisk the eggs thoroughly. Set the whisk and bowl near the stove. In a medium heavy saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Pour about 1/3 cup of the milk into the pan and whisk to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining milk. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring with the heatproof spatula, until it begins to bubble around the edges. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady low boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes, sweeping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat.

Ladle about 1 cup of the hot mixture gradually over the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Scrape the egg mixture back into the pan and whisk vigorously to blend. Set the pan over low-medium heat and whisk for just 30 seconds, without simmering or boiling, to be sure the eggs are hot enough. Off the heat, add the vanilla and chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted.

Scrape the pudding into the processor and process for 10 seconds. Divide the pudding among the cups or ramekins. Let cool and serve, or chill before serving.

EQUIPMENT

Six 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins or 8 smaller cups

From Pure Desert, by Alice Medrich. Copyright (c) 2007 by Alice Medrich. Published by Artisan. Reprinted with permission.

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