Pudding!

[TammyWright]

i love pudding so i thought i'd share some recipes i found.

 

RECIPES

 

@head Vanilla Pudding

 

Makes 4 cups, 4 to 6 servings

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups half-and-half

3 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

 

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in half-and-half and then yolks. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking gently but constantly and scraping bottom and sides of pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly until pudding is thick and coats the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes.

 

Strain pudding through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, scraping the inside of the strainer with a rubber spatula to pass the pudding through. Stir butter and vanilla into pudding until butter is melted. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. (Pudding can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 2 days, but stir briskly before serving.)

 

Serve topped with whipped cream, if desired.

 

Butterscotch pudding: Increase the cornstarch to 3 tablespoons. Substitute 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar for granulated sugar. Reduce vanilla to 2 teaspoons. Stir 1/2 cup butterscotch or caramel sauce (store-bought is fine) into the pudding with butter and vanilla.

 

Double-chocolate pudding. Reduce the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons. Add 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder with the cornstarch. Add 6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted, to the mixture after the yolks and reduce vanilla to 2 teaspoons. (The chocolate may form clumps, but will smooth out during cooking.)

 

Coconut pudding: Substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract for vanilla.

 

 

Chocolate Pots de Creme

 

Makes 8 servings

 

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (use 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate such as Ghirardelli, Callebaut, Valrhona or El Rey), chopped fine

 

5 large egg yolks

5 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder mixed with 1 tablespoon water or 1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee

 

Whipped cream and cocoa powder or chocolate shavings for garnish

 

Place chocolate in medium heat-proof bowl; set fine-mesh strainer over bowl and set aside.

 

Whisk yolks, sugar and salt in medium bowl until combined; whisk in heavy cream and half-and-half. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until thickened and silky and custard registers 175 to 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 8 to 12 minutes. Do not let custard overcook or simmer.

 

Immediately pour custard through strainer over chocolate. Let mixture stand to melt chocolate, about 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth, then whisk in vanilla and espresso. Divide mixture evenly among 8 (5-ounce) ramekins. Gently tap ramekins against counter to remove air bubbles.

 

Cool pots de creme to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 72 hours. Before serving, let pots de creme stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes.

 

Serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream whipped to soft peaks with a little sugar and vanilla and garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings, if desired.

 

- By Chris Kimball, from Cook's Illustrated, November 2006 issue

 

 

Butterscotch Budino with Caramel Sauce

 

Makes 10 servings

 

Budino:

 

3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups (whole) milk

1 large egg

3 large egg yolks

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/8 cups dark brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

5 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

 

Sauce and topping:

 

3/4 cup heavy cream

Scrapings from a 1-inch piece of vanilla bean or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup creme fraiche

Maldon sea salt for garnish

 

For budino: In a large bowl or pitcher, combine cream and milk; set aside. Whisk egg, egg yolks and cornstarch in a medium bowl, set aside.

 

Combine brown sugar, kosher salt and 1/2 cup water in a heavy duty pot. Place over medium-high heat and cook (without stirring) until edges start to brown. Tilt pot as needed to even the browning until caramelized, nutty and deep brown, about 10 minutes.

 

Immediately whisk in cream mixture - mixture will steam and caramel will seize. Bring to a boil, whisking, then reduce heat to medium. Whisk a cup at a time into egg mixture until half is incorporated. Remove from heat, and immediately whisk egg mixture back into pot until custard is very thick, about 2 minutes.

 

Whisk in butter and rum. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and divide among 10 (6-ounce) ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap, allow to cool, and refrigerate until chilled, about three hours or up to three days.

 

For sauce: Combine 1/2 cup cream and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Heat until simmering. Add butter and remove from heat; set aside.

 

In large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine corn syrup, granulated sugar and enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make a wet, sandy mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling pan for even cooking, until mixture is medium amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in cream mixture; set aside and let cool. (May be refrigerated and reheated before serving.)

 

Whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream in a large bowl until it begins to thicken. Add creme fraiche and whisk until thick and fluffy. To serve, spoon a tablespoon of warm caramel sauce over each cold budino. Garnish with a few flecks of Maldon sea salt and add a dollop of cream topping.

 

- From Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles

 

Old-Fashioned Microwave Chocolate Pudding

 

By cooking pudding in the microwave, you avoid long cooking, constant stirring and scorched pans.

 

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups milk

2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, cut up

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

In a 2-quart glass bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended. Gradually whisk in milk until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add chocolate.

 

Cook in a microwave oven on high power 7 to 9 minutes, whisking every 2 minutes until mixture is cooked through, smooth and thickened. Whisk in vanilla. Pour into 4 individual serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate until cold. Makes 4 servings.

[ACDCDCAC]

yum yum yum yum yum, tammy, you always know the way to my heart