The Queen of Chocolate Puddings

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A sacrifice had to be made.

There wasn’t going to be enough chocolate pudding left for me to partake in  a midnight feast as well as savor some for breakfast as well.

I had to decide and decide fast.

The leftovers in question came by way of a chocolate workshop I hosted that evening along with Boon Chocolates of Sydney in the Electrolux Showroom and I had managed to sneak some of this super delicious pudding out the door without being detected.

As I held the container of rich dark smooth-as-silk pudding in my hands, mulling over my dilemma and weighing up my options, I ran the risk of being caught red handed.

Eenie meenie maini mo.

Using this sophisticated decision-tree process and reaching into the  depths of our refrigerator I carefully hid my beloved pudding behind a bottle of Sparkling Shiraz, where it would sit in wait for a sublime breakfast fit for a Queen.

Queen of Chocolate Puddings

This simple pudding is made extra special by using good quality dark chocolate.

Ingredients:

180g Dark chocolate ~ I use one with 70% cocoa solids

3 cups of full cream milk

1/4 cup cornflour

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Methodology:

• Whisk together the milk, cornflour, sugar and vanilla extract.
• If you  have an induction cooktop as part of your kitchen equipment, pour the mixture into  a medium sized pot and place on the induction cooktop on heat setting 5.
• Allow it to come to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally with a spatula so you can get into the bottom and sides of the pot.
• If you are yet to discover the joys of induction cooking, place the milk mixture in a stainless bowl and set it over a pot of simmering water and cook gently ~ stirring with a spatula and scraping down the sides.
• If lumps begin to form, whisk to remove as you are aiming for a smooth silky milk sauce that thickens slightly and is glossy and bright.
• Once the mixture coats the back of a spoon and has thickened, turn the induction cooktop down to 2 or turn the pot of water to the lowest possible temperature setting.
• Add in the chocolate and a pinch of salt and whisk  well  until the chocolate is evenly dispersed and the mixture is smooth and thick.
• Strain the pudding through a fine sieve to remove any possible lumps and pour into 6-8 moulds whilst the mixture is still warm. If you allow it to cool to much, the pudding will be difficult to portion.
• Cling film over the puddings, allowing the plastic wrap to gently sit on the tops of the puddings so as not to form a chocolate skin.
• Allow to chill and set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving. These puddings can sit in the fridge for up to 48 hours before devouring.
• To serve , top with chopped dark chocolate and roasted hazelnuts. Sprinkle with a tiny amount of sea salt flakes to help heighten the flavors.

Makes 6-8 puddings