Mexican chocolate pudding
Dad wanted chocolate pudding tonight. :-) Mom was happy to make him some, and then she realized she was all out of cocoa. :-( But Mom did have Mexican drinking chocolate on hand... and it turned out that it makes some very tasty pudding! And it was even quicker and easier to put together than the standard recipe.
This pudding calls for authentic Mexican-style chocolate -- the cinnamon-flavored kind that comes in a yellow box in round wrapped tablets, and is sweetened with coarse sugar crystals. It's meant for making hot chocolate for drinking, and isn't suitable for eating plain. It's not available everywhere (I'm in California) but if you can get it, give it a try sometime. I like the Ibarra brand.
This recipe is loosely based on one from Cook's Illustrated. The original calls for 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of cocoa to be whisked with the cornstarch before adding the milk and yolks. With drinking chocolate substituted for the cocoa and sugar, the pudding turns out richer because of the extra cocoa butter. But this is not a bad thing...
Mexican Chocolate Pudding
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, gradually whisk together:
2 TB cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
(For the dairy, you could substitute a 14-oz can of evaporated milk topped up with low-fat milk to make 3 cups total. Or any other combination of milk and cream to make a moderately rich mix, depending on what you have on hand. The exact butterfat content is not super-critical, though I really wouldn't recommend trying to use nonfat or low-fat milk alone, and cream alone is TOO rich, IMO.)
3 egg yolks (or 1 whole egg, 1 yolk)
1/8 tsp salt
Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding starts to thicken. Turn the heat down to medium and switch to stirring with a large heat-resistant rubber spatula.
When the pudding is thick (it will measure about 200 F on an instant-read thermometer) remove it from the heat. Add:
2 tablets Mexican drinking chocolate
There's no need to chop the big tablets into smaller pieces; this kind of chocolate quickly falls apart in the hot pudding because of the coarse sugar crystals in it. Stir well until the chocolate is melted, the sugar is dissolved and the pudding is smooth.
Strain the pudding into a large bowl. Stir in:
2 tsp vanilla extract
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to avoid forming a skin as it cools. Refrigerate until cold. Dish it out, and top it with whipped cream if you like.
This pudding calls for authentic Mexican-style chocolate -- the cinnamon-flavored kind that comes in a yellow box in round wrapped tablets, and is sweetened with coarse sugar crystals. It's meant for making hot chocolate for drinking, and isn't suitable for eating plain. It's not available everywhere (I'm in California) but if you can get it, give it a try sometime. I like the Ibarra brand.
This recipe is loosely based on one from Cook's Illustrated. The original calls for 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of cocoa to be whisked with the cornstarch before adding the milk and yolks. With drinking chocolate substituted for the cocoa and sugar, the pudding turns out richer because of the extra cocoa butter. But this is not a bad thing...
Mexican Chocolate Pudding
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, gradually whisk together:
2 TB cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
(For the dairy, you could substitute a 14-oz can of evaporated milk topped up with low-fat milk to make 3 cups total. Or any other combination of milk and cream to make a moderately rich mix, depending on what you have on hand. The exact butterfat content is not super-critical, though I really wouldn't recommend trying to use nonfat or low-fat milk alone, and cream alone is TOO rich, IMO.)
3 egg yolks (or 1 whole egg, 1 yolk)
1/8 tsp salt
Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding starts to thicken. Turn the heat down to medium and switch to stirring with a large heat-resistant rubber spatula.
When the pudding is thick (it will measure about 200 F on an instant-read thermometer) remove it from the heat. Add:
2 tablets Mexican drinking chocolate
There's no need to chop the big tablets into smaller pieces; this kind of chocolate quickly falls apart in the hot pudding because of the coarse sugar crystals in it. Stir well until the chocolate is melted, the sugar is dissolved and the pudding is smooth.
Strain the pudding into a large bowl. Stir in:
2 tsp vanilla extract
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to avoid forming a skin as it cools. Refrigerate until cold. Dish it out, and top it with whipped cream if you like.