olga massov

Amazing Chocolate Pudding
Adapted from Luisa (who adapted it from Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate)

What I love about this version of chocolate pudding is precisely its simplicity and clarity of flavor. There is nothing getting in the way of chocolate. And somehow the pudding feels almost light on your tongue, weightless almost. Over the years I took a few liberties and settled on a version I am sticking to for life. The most important change I made from the original Scharffenberger recipe is that I took out the sugar all together. Originally, it listed 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, but I was finding the pudding to be a tad too sweet for my taste. One day, I decided to skip the sugar and see what would happen, and I feel for this “more adult” version of the pudding hook, line, and sinker.

I also, recently, tried to make this pudding using light coconut milk instead of cow’s milk. And it was a stunning success! The main difference between the dairy versus the non-dairy version is that the cooking time is considerably shorter. The reason for that is that coconut milk (even the light version) is much thicker than cow’s milk. If you make this version, you will use 2 (15 ounce) cans of coconut milk and have a little bit of coconut milk leftover. By all means – save it, and tuck it into your morning oatmeal the following morning. Another bonus to making the vegan version is for the folks who keep kosher this is a now-viable dessert should they have meat or chicken for their main meal.

I provide both versions below – see which one you like better.

Chocolate Pudding (Dairy Version)

1/4 cup (35 grams) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
3 cups (710 ml) whole milk
6 ounces (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate (I used 70%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl or a double boiler bowl, combine the starch and salt. Whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides to include dry ingredients – making sure no lumps remain in the milk. Place the bowl over a pot with 1 inch of simmering water and stir, scraping the bottom and sides. If lumps form, use a whisk to break them up. Cook the mixture, stirring with a whisk, until the mixture begins to thicken, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the chocolate and cook the pudding, stirring, until it has thickened and is glossy and smooth, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from heat and stir in the vanilla.

2. Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or a measuring cup. Ladle or pour the pudding into individual serving dishes, cover the tops with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. [Note: if you’re one of those people who cannot stand pudding skin, you should place the plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding, not over the serving dish.]

Chocolate Pudding (Non-Dairy Version)

1/4 cup (35 grams) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
3 cups (710 ml) light coconut milk
6 ounces (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate (I used 70%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl or a double boiler bowl, combine the starch and salt. Whisk in the coconut milk, scraping the bottom and sides to include dry ingredients – making sure no lumps remain in the milk. Place the bowl over a pot with 1 inch of simmering water and stir, scraping the bottom and sides. If lumps form, use a whisk to break them up. Cook the mixture, stirring with a whisk, until the mixture begins to thicken, for about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the chocolate and cook the pudding, stirring, until it has thickened and is glossy and smooth, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Both puddings make 6 servings.