Description
Although the pudding itself can be made in about 30 minutes, be sure to account for the additional cooling time (at least 30 minutes).
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup cornstarch (32 g)
- 1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
- 1/4 tsp fine-grain salt (like table or sea salt)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate (60%), chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler.
- Slowly whisk in the milk. Scrape the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients.
- Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides with the spatula. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form.
- After 15-20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spatula, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for ~2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour into individual serving dishes, or one large dish.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
Notes
- To make the pudding, be sure to use a proper double boiler or a stainless steel bowl. The milk mixture will take forever to thicken in a glass bowl.
- When setting up the double boiler, you only need a little water - it's actually the steam that is doing the cooking here, not the water itself. Make sure the bottom of the double boiler or stainless steel bowl doesn't touch the boiling water. You don't want to burn the milk mixture.
- The recipe references switching back and forth between a spatula and a whisk. A whisk incorporates a lot of air into the milk mixture, which you don't want. So use the spatula as much as possible to scrape the bottom of the bowl, and then use the whisk, only as needed, to break up any clumps that are starting to form.
- If you want extra-silky pudding, before pouring into the serving dish(es), strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. (To be honest, though, I rarely do this.)
- Pudding skin: Yes or No? If you don't want pudding skin, be sure to place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding before refrigerating.
- If you keep the pudding in the refrigerator closer to 3 days, be aware that natural water separation may appear. No worries! The pudding will still be delicious.
- This recipe is very slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who found it via Wednesday Chef, who found it in the Scharffenberger cookbook, Essence of Chocolate. Whew! That's an impressive recipe trail 😉