Chocolate Pudding

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Chocolate Pudding, ready to dig in

If I ever get the "weakness" question in an interview, my default answer always involves being a perfectionist. On the bright side, that means I have high standards; not so great side, I can be a bit paranoid about fine details. When it comes to cooking, especially when it comes to making dessert, I AM A PERFECTIONIST.

So in most cases, I'd try a recipe, have a reasonable success with it (or failure occasionally), and I'll always have something I'd change, and I'd work on it later. This Chocolate Pudding recipe from Tartine....I don't have anything I'd change (except maybe reduce the amount of sugar). It's simple, not very time consuming to prepare, and the result was phenomenal! I served it at the end of my dinner party, and everybody just inhaled it.

The pudding is rich, chocolate flavor intense, with a hint of saltiness that highlights the cocoa. I topped the pudding with unsweetened softly whipped cream (as recommended by the book author), and shaved some 70% chocolate bar from Trader Joe's for garnish.

The key to success in this case, I'd say, is the use of really high quality chocolate. Afterall, it's the chocolate flavor that shines through, and if regular grocery store chocolate is used, the result might not be as desirable. I used Callebaut bittersweet chocolate (60.3% cocoa, if you want the exact number), and I got this from a restaurant supply store.


Chocolate Pudding
Yield: 4-6 servings
Adapted from: Tartine

Ingredients:
  • 14oz Whole milk 
  • 5oz Heavy cream
  • 30g Cornstarch
  • 140g Sugar
  • 3 Tbsp Cocoa powder
  • 3 Extra-large egg (the original recipe called for large egg, but I only have extra-large on hand)
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 70g Bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Combine the milk and cream in a heavy, medium saucepan and heat to just under a boil.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch and sugar, and sift in the cocoa powder. Whisk until blended.

3. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt until blended, then add to the sugar mixture and whisk until well combined.

4. Slowly add half of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the rest of the milk mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture has visibly thickened and registers 208F on a thermometer. This should take 5-7 minutes, depending how cold the eggs are.

5. Immediately pour the contents of the pan through a fine-mesh sieve, place over a large heat proof container. Add the chocolate and let the heat of the milk-egg mixture melt it.

6. When the chocolate has melted, use a blender and work in small batches, being extremely careful with the hot mixture.

7. Portion the pudding right away, let cool, and serve at room temperature.

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