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Mexican Chocolate Pudding with Bourbon Cream

Source of Recipe

From "Secrets of the Southern Table" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"Sometimes Mama would make chocolate pudding after school, and my sister and I would watch her measure and prepare the ingredients, combine everything, and then cook until the dark mixture would suddenly thicken. She'd pour the molten chocolate pudding into those glass cups with thick ruffled edges and let us swipe our little fingers against the side of the pan to get every last bit. The stereotype of Appalachia—a region that stretches from the southern tip of New York to northern Mississippi—is a mountainous area sparsely populated by poor whites. But there has always been a lot more to that region—including a well-established Mexican community. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the region. One wonderful and unique Mexican treat is Mexican chocolate, enhanced with spices such as cinnamon and cayenne, which my friend and colleague, chef Anthony Lamas of Seviche in Louisville, Kentucky, calls 'truly a one-of-a-kind chocolate.' Although I'll always love the chocolate pudding of my childhood, in homage to the Latin influences in the region, I've kicked up the flavor of these decidedly adult pudding cups with a bit of spice and heat to go along with the Kentucky bourbon cream."

List of Ingredients

For the pudding:
â—¦ 6 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
â—¦ 3 tablespoons cornstarch
â—¦ 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
â—¦ 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ Pinch of cayenne pepper
â—¦ Pinch of fine sea salt
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups milk
â—¦ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ 6 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the bourbon cream:
â—¦ ½ cup heavy cream
â—¦ 1 tablespoon bourbon


Recipe

To make the pudding, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, espresso powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt in a saucepan. In a large measuring cup, combine the cream, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients in the saucepan and whisk until smooth.

Place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the chocolate and cook, whisking continuously, until the chocolate has melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the butter until melted. Divide the mixture equally among six serving dishes such as dessert coupes or ramekins. To prevent a skin from forming, place plastic wrap directly against the surface of each pudding. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, to make the bourbon cream, combine the cream and bourbon in a large bowl. Refrigerate, along with a whisk, for at least 15 minutes. Once chilled, beat the cream with the chilled whisk until it holds soft peaks, 3 to 5 minutes.

When the pudding is chilled completely, top each glass with a spoonful of bourbon cream and dust with cocoa powder. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 (½-cup) servings