EVERYONE likes chocolate.
For those people who absolutely LOVE chocolate...this recipe is for you. Adapted from Larry Forgione's recipe for Double Chocolate Pudding, it is an American classic. I have accented the creamy, unctuous, and sensual texture of the pudding with the warming and "exotic" flavor of ginger; topped with orange whipped cream, (the recipe makes more whipped cream than you will need for pudding *wink, wink*) Oh, yeah...chocolate and ginger are regarded as aphrodisiacs, too...
TIP: for an extra creamy pudding, after cooking pass the pudding through a fine mesh strainer, (before placing in individual containers to set up.) For Valentine's Day, you can substitute blood oranges or cara cara oranged for regular navel oranges, (and they'll turn your whipped cream pink!)
Gingered Chocolate-Chocolate Custard with Citrus Whipped Cream
serves 4
2 + ¼ cups whole milk
1 Tblsp ground
dry ginger
1/4 +1/4 cup granulated
sugar
1 each large
egg
2 each large
egg yolks
3 Tblsp cornstarch
2 Tblsp unsweetened
cocoa powder, sifted
¼ tsp salt
3-½ ounces chocolate (78% cocoa), finely chopped
2 Tblsp unsalted
butter, cut into small pieces
1-½ tsp dark
rum
1-½ tsp pure
vanilla extract
for the citrus
whipped cream
1 cup heavy
whipping cream
1-½ tsp pure
vanilla extract
1 each sweet
orange, juiced and zested, pulp and pith discarded
to
taste confectioner’s sugar
Put 2
cups of the milk, the ginger, and ¼ cup of the sugar in a large saucepan and
heat over medium-high heat until scalded.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Put
the egg and egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add the remaining ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup sugar,
the cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt; whisk until well combined.
Whisk
the cocoa mixture into the scalded milk.
Set over low heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 4 to 6
minutes, until the mixture begins to thickens and comes to a low boil, causing
large bubbles to form.
Immediately
remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate, butter, rum, and vanilla, and
stir until the butter and chocolate are completely melted. (the pudding will continue to thicken as it
cools.)
Pour
the pudding into individual dishes or glasses, (the original recipe calls for
4, but life is too short to scrimp on the desserts), and let cool for 10
minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap
and refrigerate. The pudding will keep
in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
For
the whipped cream, place the heavy cream in the chilled bowl of a stand mixer
and beat to soft peaks. Add the orange
juice, orange zest, and vanilla, and whip for five seconds. Sweeten to taste with confectioner’s sugar
and continue whipping to medium-stiff peaks.
Transfer the whipped cream to a container, wrap tightly with plastic
wrap, and refrigerate. The whipped cream
can be made 1 to 2 days ahead of time, (if your whipped cream looks a little
runny or loose, just re-whip it in a chilled bowl).
oh my... and you used to be so anti- valentines day = hallmark holiday! WOW! i'm sure the chocolate will nurture my skin! ; )
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