6.24.16
My secret tip for a silky-smooth pudding: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
I had this pudding for dessert at lunch about twenty years ago and never forgot it. The lunch was at a restaurant called “An American Place” in New York City, owned by Larry Forgione. His cookbook, by the same name, had just been published and I bought a copy that day at the restaurant. The chef signed my book with this: “Celebrating the flavors of America”, which pretty much describes the concept of the restaurant. All of the food was good but I was focused on the desserts like this chocolate pudding. Later, when I opened the book, I went directly to the chapter titled simply “Old-Fashioned Desserts”. I felt extremely lucky when I discovered that the recipe for Old-Fashioned Double Chocolate Pudding was included. But there was more: Blackberry and Apple Crisp, Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake (since it’s strawberry season, this will be my next post). Apple Pandowdy, and Granny’s Chocolate Cake, just to name a few. I’ve made a lot of fancy desserts in my career, but these truly old-fashioned desserts really grab me, right in the heart, and just beg me to make them. Guess I’m just an old-fashioned girl.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
My chocolate pudding recipe is adapted from that recipe, although it has been tweaked over the years, primarily to make it more chocolate-y by adding a teensy bit more cocoa powder and chocolate. I like a chocolate pudding to be shiny, glossy, and silky-smooth on the tongue. From making it so many times as a pastry chef, I stumbled onto the secret to getting this result and it is this:
USE A HAND BLENDER:
JUST BEFORE SERVING OR PUTTING INTO RAMEKINS, USE A HAND-BLENDER TO EMULSIFY THE PUDDING. THIS IS THE SECRET TIP THAT WILL PRODUCE THAT SHINY, SILKY TEXTURE. THE BOWL ON THE LEFT IS BEFORE BLENDING; THE TEXTURE IS ROUGH. THE BOWL ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE SILKY-SMOOTH TEXTURE THAT YOU GET BY USING THE HAND BLENDER.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
Procedure for making Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding:
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- Mise en Place: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
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- Getting ready to cook the pudding.
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- The cocoa powder/egg mixture ready to whisk into the hot milk and cream.
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- Cooking the pudding.
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- Passing the pudding through a tamis (or fine mesh seive).
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- The secret to a silky-smooth pudding: emulsify with a hand-blender.
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- Warm pudding can be poured into ramekins. Use a 4-cup glass measuring cup with a spout.
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- Small Square 4-oz Ramekins: 100g (3 1/2 oz) of pudding each
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- Use a block of Milk Chocolate (Callebaut) to make curls for garnish. Milk chocolate is a little softer & easier to curl than dark chocolate.
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- Garnishes: Piped whipped cream, chocolate shavings, fresh raspberry.
This recipe is a winner and I can pretty much guarantee that it will be a success every time your make it if you follow the tip above. It is a recipe that is great served in individual ramekins for lunch−or dinner−or anytime as a snack, with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings; a fresh raspberry doesn’t hurt. This pudding is also good for cake fillings, as in Shirl’s Brooklyn Blackout Cake.
I found a New York Times restaurant review by William Grimes from August 18, 1999 about “The American Place”. In it, regarding the desserts, he makes this very colorful comment: “The wisest course is to order the double chocolate pudding. Served with Schrafft’s sugar cookies, it’s a standout, one of those regressive treats that are as satisfying as a trashy novel.” I agree that it’s very satisfying. Please try it; you will love it.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding: Create a Pretty Presentation
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
| Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding | Print |
YIELD: EIGHT 100g (3½ oz) SERVINGS
FINISHED WEIGHT: ABOUT 800g (28 oz)
- 240 grams milk (1 cup)
- 180 grams ½ & ½ cream (3/4 cup)
- 90 grams heavy cream (1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons)
- 50 grams sugar (1/4 cup)
- 50 grams egg (1 large)
- 60 grams egg yolks (3 large)
- 60 grams milk (1/4 cup)
- 50 grams sugar (1/4 cup)
- 20 grams cornstarch (2 Tablespoons)
- 15 grams cocoa powder (2½ Tablespoons)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 100 grams semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (Ghiradelli)
- 40 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Ghiradelli 60%)
- 30 grams unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
- 10 grams Myers's dark rum (2 teaspoons)
- 10 grams vanilla extract (2 teaspoons)
- 1005 grams = Total 35 oz (2# 3 oz)
- COMBINE first four ingredients in a medium rondeau (or Dutch oven) and bring up to a boil.
- WHISK whole egg, egg yolks, and milk in a medium bowl until blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt; then whisk the dry ingredients into the eggs.
- TEMPER the hot milk/cream into the egg mixture. Return to the pan and cook until the mixture thickens and comes to a low boil, whisking constantly. Let the mixture boil for about 2 minutes to cook the starch.
- REMOVE from heat, add the chopped chocolate, butter, rum, and vanilla extract; stir with whisk until the chocolate and butter are completely melted.
- PASS through a tamis or fine mesh strainer immediately into a stainless steel bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- COOL in ice bath to room temperature. The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. Refrigerate overnight.
- MIX pudding with a hand blender until very smooth and shiny before using or serving. Don't omit this step; it makes a big difference in the texture, making it very silky.
- TO SERVE: POUR warm pudding into ramekins or cups. For 4-ounce ramekins, it will take about 100g (3½ oz) per ramekin. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Add a fresh raspberry (dusted lightly with powdered sugar), to each ramekin, if desired.
- TO USE FOR CAKE FILLING: Scale pudding into portions according to the number of layers in your recipe and the size of the cake. See scale below.
- CHOCOLATE PUDDING SCALE FOR CAKE LAYERS - For each layer, scale the pudding as follows: 6" (15 cm) CAKE = 100g (3½ oz) - 8" (20 cm) CAKE = 200g (7 oz) - 9" (23 cm) CAKE (23 cm) = 250g (8¾ oz) - 10" (25 cm) = 300g (10½ oz).
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy!
Shirl
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