Dark Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate pudding used to be a childhood favorite of mine. As I got older, my love for pudding gave way to more, “sophisticated” chocolate offerings, but I knew a small part of me would always love it. That part of me took control of me this past weekend and demanded that I produce something rich and chocolatey, the likes of which I had not tasted in a long time. And so I did!

This was my first time making pudding, but I found the process to be a lot easier than I expected. Granted, there is a stretch of about 10 – 15 minutes where you’ll be stirring and whisking constantly, but aside from that, it’s really not too much of a hassle to make.

Recipe adapted from Chow.com

Difficulty: Relatively Easy
Active Prep Time: About 45 minutes
Total Prep Time: 4 hours
Special Equipment: Stand Mixer, fine mesh strainer
Serves: About 8

Pudding Ingredients:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Crème Fraîche Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and set aside for later.

2. In a separate bowl, whip together the egg yolks and cream until well mixed, then set aside.

3. Place the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth.

4. Place the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as well, and continue until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens slightly - about 5 - 7 minutes.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk the contents into the bowl with the cream and egg yolk mixture. Once mixed, pour the egg-cocoa mixture back into the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan as before, until it just begins to simmer - about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute more.

6. Immediately pour the mixture through the prepared strainer, scraping any extra clinging to the underside of the strainer into the bowl. Discard the solids left in the strainer. Add the chocolate and vanilla to the bowl and stir until the chocolate has melted and the pudding is smooth.

7. Transfer the pudding to small ramekins or bowls. Immediately press sheets of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the puddings to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight – until very cold.

(When ready to serve the pudding, prepare the whipped crème fraîche topping)

8. Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

9. Place the crème fraîche, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar in the chilled bowl and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes.

10. Serve immediately with the pudding.