TWD: Chocolate Pudding

The funny thing is, Julia's been on a chocolate pudding kick lately.  So when I saw that Melissa of It's Melissa's Kitchen had chosen Chocolate Pudding (page 383 of Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan), I was rather pleased.

The pudding went together very quickly, and the process was totally different from any way I've ever made pudding.  For one thing - no box!  (Just kidding.)  The biggest unexpected part of this recipe was utilizing the food processor to actually make the pudding.  Very different, but fun and effective.

I had all the ingredients the recipe called for without making any special trips anywhere - the only substitutions I made were 2% milk instead of whole, and 1 oz of semi-sweet chocolate because I only had 4 oz of bittersweet on hand.

I put most of the milk and half the sugar in a pot on the stove to boil...

Combined the cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt in one bowl...

And the rest of the sugar, the egg and two yolks in another bowl...

While my bowls of melted chocolate, softened butter and vanilla waited in the wings.

As directed, I ran the cornstarch/cocoa powder/salt mixture through the food processor and then poured that out onto a piece of parchment.

Next to go into the processor were the eggs and sugar, and after they were spun around for a minute, I poured in the remaining milk...

And then the cocoa powder mixture...

Now, ordinarily when making something like this, I would figure that the next step would be to temper the egg mixture with some of the hot milk in the pot and then pour the gently-heated egg mixture into the rest of the milk and cook until it thickened.

But not this time.  Instead, Dorie has you slowly pour the hot milk into the spinning food processor (okay, the contents of the bowl are spinning, not the appliance).  In this way, it is apparently incorporated slowly enough so the eggs don't cook/curdle, and this eliminates the whole tempering step.  Pretty cool, actually, as long as you can pour your hot milk with a steady hand.

It makes it harder when you're trying to pour left-handed and take a picture with the camera with your right hand.  But it can be done!

(okay, it's a bit fuzzy, but still - ACTION SHOT!)

Okay, once the milk is blended into the egg mixture (mine was very frothy)

You pour it back into the pot and whisk constantly until it begins to thicken and, to quote Dorie, "a couple of bubbles burble up to the surface and pop (about 2 minutes)."  Then it's back into the food processor for one more spin - this time you add in the vanilla and butter and melted chocolate, who have been sitting over there on the counter, watching all the fun.

Wheeee!  Everybody into the pool!

(I'm sorry - I was up late last night watching the Home Run Derby and then Julia had me up very very early this morning - I tend to get a bit silly when sleep-deprived.)

Okay, so now you spin it all around again to combine

Now comes the hard part.  You have to put the pudding into ramekins or cups or whatever and - put them in the fridge to chill for "at least 4 hours."  Yeah.  Four.  Hours.  That's what Dorie says.  Clearly she is off her rocker on that point.  But I'll cut her some slack, since mostly everything else she writes makes sense.

Anyway, I chose these coffee cups instead of ramekins, and I divided the pudding into 6 cups and let them all wait on the counter while I scraped the very last bits of pudding from the inside of the processor bowl and the blade and the spatula and made sure they all ended up in my mouth.  It was not a very pretty display, I'm sure, but no one was in the kitchen to witness it.  (So maybe it didn't really happen at all...)

I started putting them in the fridge, really I did, but then Miss Julia, the chocolate pudding princess, came in and saw me wiping chocolate evidence from the corner of my mouth.

"Mommy, what do you got?"  She asked in her best Law & Order interrogation room tone.

"Um...chocolate pudding," I confessed...weak-willed soul that I am.

"I want some chocolate pudding!"  She shouted - a four-year-old girl once more - jumping up and down.

"Well...okay."  So I gave her a cup and warned her that it wasn't exactly like the chocolate pudding she usually ate (she's a milk chocolate kind of gal at this point), but she grabbed a spoon and dug in anyway.

You've probably guessed that she didn't like it.  Oh darn.  I guess I'll have to finish what's in the cup.  I thought it was delicious - dark and lush and smooth.

A bit later, (still not 4 hours later, though.  Sorry, Dorie.) my husband was a little hungry and I asked if he wanted some chocolate pudding.  Oh he sure did.  With whipped cream?  Yes, please!  I poured some heavy cream in a bowl, got a whisk, and beat it by hand til it reached the soft peak stage. 

And then I made Bill wait while I took some pictures...

And then I finally allowed Bill to snatch the cup and spoon away and sample the pudding.

1 minute and 36 seconds later...

 

He liked it. A lot.

If you would like to see more glorious photos of chocolate pudding, go check out the enormous list of Tuesdays With Dorie members.  And if you want the recipe, go check in Melissa's Kitchen or better yet, go buy the book!

Comments

[Di]

I love the pictures with the whipped cream. Makes me wish I'd made some. =) Both my girls really liked the pudding, but they mostly eat dark chocolate.

[Madam Chow]

I know it was hard for you to finish Julia's pudding, but SOMEONE has to do the tough jobs, and it's usually mom, isn't it? Another great post!

[Shannon]

I love love love love LOVE the shots with the whipped cream and especially the last shot of the empty cup and spoon. Oh, and Julia's face is priceless! Chloe (my 3yo dd) makes a similar "I don't like this" face. Great post!

[rainbowbrown]

I am sort of impressed that you managed to take a picture at all while ouring the milk. Mine went everywhere before it got into that little hole and I had both hands on my side. Very nice.

[erin lou]

I love your photography! I was too busy trying to concentrate on going back in forth to bother. Your pudding looks delicious!

[Sarah]

This is a more grown-up version of chocolate pudding, but still pretty good! Yours looks great with the whipped cream!

[Bumblebutton]

Goodness, I think it must have taken you longer to style all your gorgeous photos than to make the pudding--which looks fabulous!

[April B]

Wonderful pictures and such a delicious looking pudding!

[Teanna]

I love the idea of serving it coffee cups and I love that it only took 1 min and 36 seconds to eat! And I'm sure each second was pure delight!

[Holly @ PheMOMenon]

Very cute in the coffee cups! I couldn't wait to dig in either - this pudding is fantastic!

[Ulrike]

Great idea to serve it in coffe cups. Only 1 minute 36! I'll bet my sons can do it faster ;-)

As always: Gorgeous looking pictures !

[Susan]

I'm gonna have to make some shipped cream tonight - too lazy last night.
and i am still tasting salt. just saying.
are you trying to kill me? :)

[Mara]

ha ha i love your post commentary...whee everyone into the pool! i did everything by hand and it was super duper easy...definitely making it again. i also did fresh whipped, with crushed coffee beans, YUM. FAB photos...so impressive on the 'in action'.

[Dianne]

Your pudding looks fabulous! Glad you and your husband enjoyed it even if Julia didn't...More for you! ;)

[Natashya]

Your photography is so beautiful! I love your step by step pudding shots.

[CB]

I dig all the action shots! Love the one in the teacup and spoon too. Great job!
Clara @ iheartfood4thought

[Em]

beautiful... both the presentation and the photos :)

[Laura]

fab photos! i should have made homemade whipped cream, but i was too lazy. i regret it now;)

[Mary Ann]

I am so glad to see that someone else had all that froth, just like me! I was scared that it wasn't going to work because it was so foamy. But, Dorie's recipes have never failed me. Your pictures are gorgeous!

[Melissa]

Yeah, not quite a kid version, but yummy for us adults!!!

[Kelly]

I can't believe you managed to get those in process pictures. I was running around like a maniac. Looks great!

[kim]

ooh, that first close up is mouthwatering! :) it looks great in the teacup. also, your daughter's reaction is priceless, hehe.

[annestrawberry]

Those are absolutely beautiful photos! I'm glad everyone liked it... we had a hard time waiting 4 hours ourselves!

[Roni]

Your pictures are spectacular. Love your blog! Oh, and your pudding looks perfect, too!

[Erin]

Kitchen Witch-those photos are amazing! Your pudding looks absolutely beautiful and very elegant. Your little girl is a an absolute doll!

[Heather B]

yum! It looks delicious! Great job! Love the whipped cream pictures!

[Christine]

Isn't it our job as moms to finish what the kids don't like? You couldn't let that go to waste! Great job your pics are always amazing!

[Linda at Tender Crumb]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all of your beautiful photos... and in total awe that you were able to take all of those process photos!!!

[Jessica]

Those are some gorgeous pictures...too bad your little girl didn't like it...but that means more for you!

[LyB]

Love those cups! And your daughter is just so cute! This is more of a grown up pudding. :)

[Jules]

Mmmmmm. That looks so tasty!

[Liliana]

What a great idea to serve it in a coffe cup! Your pudding looks delicious. I too had to finish some left over pudding (the last one left in the fridge).

Great photos!

[Dolores]

I'm with you; the four hour wait was the hardest part. It *did* give me plenty of time to do the dishes though...

[nickki]

I loved reading your post! Your pictures look amazing. I got a lot of froth too.

[Lillian]

Marvelous, marvelous photos. And I can only wish that my family hadn't liked the pudding -- there would have been more for me!

[Friedl]

This one looks sooooo good !