Recipe: X-traordinary Rich Chocolate Pudding

X-TRAORDINARY RICH CHOCOLATE PUDDING

1 cup milk
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch of salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, best quality, coarsely chopped
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat milk and cream in small saucepan until small bubbles appear around edges. Or, place in 2-cup glass measuring cup and microwave 2 to 3 minutes.

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan and stir until blended. Add hot milk mixture and heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until it begins to thicken and boil. Add chocolate. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly, until mixture boils and chocolate is melted.

Whisk egg yolks in small bowl. Add spoonful of hot milk mixture to eggs and stir to blend. Stir egg mixture back into saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, 2 minutes, until pudding is thickened and reaches 165 to 170 degrees F.

Set sieve over a bowl and strain pudding, pushing last drops of pudding through sieve with rubber spatula. Stir in vanilla.

Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Puddings A to Z by Marie Simmons