Perfect Chocolate Pudding

 

Have you ever had one of those days where everything you touch turns out perfectly? I’ll admit, that doesn’t happen to me very often, but yesterday was one of those days. At one point I stood there in my kitchen surrounded by bubbling pots and busy sheet pans thinking, ‘this is all going SO well, what else can I make???’

I was having a craving for chocolate and although I had already made one dessert, I decided to make some pudding. I started hunting for pudding recipes but just didn’t find one that sounded amazing. Then I stumbled across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Apparently hankering for perfect pudding recipes happens to other people too! Her recipe came from John Scharffenberger, as in Scharffen Berger chocolate, so I just took it on faith that it was going to be wonderful! And, oh boy, was it!!! You are going to want to make this. Like now. It is really an easy recipe, not quite as easy as ripping open a box of instant Jell-O pudding, but oh-so-very-much worth the extra effort!

Like I said, I had a lot of other things going on in my kitchen and although I was prepared to stand there and whisk for 20 minutes I didn’t need to. I just kept an eye on it and whisked it every so often and it turned out great! The texture is divine, perfectly creamy. I used two 70% cacao Lindt chocolate bars and it was SO good. A little on the grown-up side of chocolate pudding. So for the kids, I dressed it down with crumbled graham crackers and marshmallow fluff that I toasted with my crème brulee torch. S’more pudding! For me, I whipped up a little cream with a hint of raspberry, to help cut the dark chocolate kick. It was just perfect, you will absolutely want this recipe in your repertoire!

 

Silky Chocolate Pudding
Adapted from John Scharffenberger, via Wednesday Chef, via Smitten Kitchen

Serves 6

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

6 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler.

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 whisk occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. 

After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate.

Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a serving bowl or individual serving dishes.

Place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface before refrigerating.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

 

Raspberry Scented Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon raspberry extract

1/3 cup powdered sugar

 

About 30 minutes (at least) before serving: Chill your mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer.

Add the cream and raspberry extract to the mixer bowl.

Sift in the powdered sugar.

Mix on low until the sugar is incorporated.

Turn the mixer up and keep an eye on it!!!!

You should reach soft peaks after 3-4 minutes.

I served it at this point because I liked the softness of the whipped cream against the pudding, but feel free to whip it up into firmer peaks!