Deliciously Decadent Chocolate Pudding

I know that chocolate pudding doesn't sound very exotic or exciting, but pudding from scratch with 70% dark chocolate is so good! Also, I have an ulterior motive. I just bought myself some new ramekins. I bought them so that I could make crème brûlée later on this winter term, but I am just too excited to wait!

Pudding also counts as a worldly dessert since it originated in England all the way back in the middle ages. Back then meat-based puddings were the only option, but by the 17th century people were making both savory (meat-based) and sweet (using nuts and sugar) puddings. I have heard that traditional British puddings are different from American puddings, though. American pudding is much more like custard, which is a bit thicker that traditional British pudding. They are thicker because they are made either with eggs or egg substitutes like cornstarch and custard powder. Custard dates all the way back to the ancient Romans. They were huge fans of eggs and knew all about their binding properties.

This recipe was quite simple, and it turned out delicious! I just needed to stir and whisk up the ingredients in a double boiler until it started to thicken. I was so worried about getting lumps in the pudding, so I whisked it up quite a bit. It turned out super smooth, though, so my whisking was not for naught. It was extremely rich because of the intense dark chocolate. Yum!



I would like to send out a special thanks to Xochi, my in-house photographer and occasional sous-chef!

Silky Chocolate Pudding

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
6 oz. 62%-70% dark chocolate
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Combine the cornstarch sugar and salt in the top of a double broiler. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping 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. 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 spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for 2-4 minutes, or until the pussing is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

2. Pour into individual serving dishes and refrigerate. If you like pudding skin pull plastic wrap over the top of the serving dish before refrigerating. If you dislike pudding skin, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.