Makes 6 servings
The men in my family are pudding heads. Give them anything slippy and slidey, soft and creamy, and they’re happy. Give them chocolate pudding, and they’re ecstatic.
While I think of chocolate pudding as being very American, when I served it in Paris, my friends licked their spoons and said I’d made a really good chocolate crème pâtissière. Indeed, I always forget that our pudding is their pastry cream, a cooked custard thickened with a little cornstarch and eggs.
If you were to follow my husband’s lead, you’d pour some heavy cream over the pudding; if you were to follow my son’s, you’d have it plain; if you were to follow tradition, you’d have the pudding with some whipped cream or crème fraîche; and if you were to follow my druthers, you’d finish the dessert with a sprinkle of Chocolate Crunch.
a word on mixing
When company’s coming, I give the pudding a little extra smoothing by beating it with an immersion blender for a minute or so. It’s optional, but it does further silken the texture.
Working Ahead
The pudding needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours to set.
Set out six bowls or cups for the pudding.
Scald the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (When you see small bubbles in a circle around the edges of the milk, it’s scalded.)
Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt together in a large heatproof bowl. Whisk in the egg and yolks. (Once the yolks go in, you must start whisking immediately, or the sugar will cause the yolks to develop a film.)
Put the bowl on a kitchen towel to keep it steady and, with the whisk in one hand and the pan of hot milk and cream in the other, start adding the liquid to the bowl in a drizzle, whisking nonstop. When you’ve incorporated about a quarter of the mixture, you can whisk it in more quickly. Pour everything back into the pan.
Place the pan over medium heat and, once again whisking without stopping, cook the cream until it thickens, about 3 minutes — you’ll notice that the whisk will begin to leave tracks, your sign that you’re almost there. When the first bubble breaks the surface, whisk energetically and then continue to whisk for another minute or two.
Set a strainer over a bowl and push the pudding through the strainer. If anything has stuck to the pan, leave it behind. Whisk in the melted chocolate, vanilla and butter, stirring until smooth and fully incorporated. If you’d like, give the pudding a last mix with a handheld (immersion) blender — just a minute or so is all you need. It’s not necessary, but it does smooth and ever so slightly aerate the pudding.
Pour or spoon the pudding into the bowls or cups, cover (press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of each pudding if you want to avoid having a skin form) and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 4 hours.
When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle a little of the crunch, if you’re using it, over each pudding. Using the crunch doesn’t preclude the possibility of adding other toppings, such as whipped cream.
Storing: The pudding is best the day it is made, but it can be kept for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to keep it well covered and away from foods with strong odors.