MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
During both of my pregnancies, I had an insatiable urge for pudding. And not some hifalutin pudding, either. Let’s just say that the more plastic packaging that was involved with said pudding, the more satisfied I was with it. These days, I’m back to making stovetop puddings from scratch (that pregnancy “free pass” only lasts so long, unfortunately). Whether with child or not, it’s hard to resist a bowl of spoonable comfort, but often scratch puddings can be a little lackluster in the flavor department. That’s definitely not the case here.
Enter barley malt syrup, a kind of obscure sweetener with a very unique, complex flavor that can be a tough sell in recipes. It’s not a malt flavor that hits you over the head like a milkshake made with the powdered stuff; this is really more about the genuine mellow earthiness of real malt and its ability to round out the sharp, bittersweet edge of good cocoa powder and chocolate. I also love the silkiness that a liquid sweetener like this can lend to creamy desserts. Add some smoky dark muscovado sugar to the mix, and you’ve got the biggest, baddest chocolate pudding in town.
⅓ cup (4 ounces/113 grams) barley malt syrup
¼ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons (½ ounce/16 grams) cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1¾ cups (14 ounces/397 grams) whole milk
2 ounces (57 grams) bittersweet chocolate (60% to 70% cacao), chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the malt syrup, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt (you may have a few small lumps of sugar in the mix). Set the pan over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the milk. When the mixture is warm to the touch, stir in the chocolate until melted. Reduce the heat to medium and continue whisking occasionally until the pudding has thickened considerably, about 8 minutes. Do not let the pudding come to a simmer while you wait for it to thicken—if it appears that it’s threatening to bubble, pull the pan from the heat for a brief moment, then return it, whisking all the while.
2. When the pudding has thickened, whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the pudding into a heatproof container and cover the surface with plastic wrap, being sure to get the wrap directly in contact with the surface of the pudding to avoid a skin (if you’re a pudding skin lover, ignore this step). Chill completely in the refrigerator, at least 3 hours.
TIP: If you accidentally overcook the pudding and it begins to curdle a bit, don’t fret! Simply scrape the pudding into a blender or food processor and blitz until silky smooth.