T and I walked past the pudding snack cups at Target the
other day, looked at each other, and had the same thought…”Awww pudding
cuuuups!”
Simultaneously were taken back to when we were 7 years old,
peeling back the lid and taking a plastic spoon to the sweet, thick,
sugar-laden chocolate pudding. Ponytails and backpacks on, sitting in different
elementary schools on a sunny day in San Jose, we were gobbing down that sweet
treat—the one that we were allowed on so few occasions, the one we had to
convince our mothers to buy for us.
“Don’t worry…I’ll make some chocolate cream” was the next
thing I said.
Homemade chocolate cream means no chemicals, no fake-o
sugars or anything of the sort. Bittersweet Valrhona chocolate stirred into a
light anglaise. This chocolate cream was one of my first responsibilities at my
first job at a restaurant. I dug up the Mead spiral notebook that was my
constant companion during my stint there, and committed it electronically to my
collection of recipes (in grams). Its fancy name is Chocolate Cremeaux
Served with sweet, dark cherries, blackberries and cream, we
enjoyed this deeply chocolate cream on the patio with a Kunde Vineyards dessert
cuvee from Sonoma Valley.
The first thought brought to mind as I took a spoonful and a
sip was, “Yup, THIS is adulting.”
Chocolate Cremeaux
Makes 2 cups
135g bittersweet chocolate
207g milk
187g cream
2 egg yolks
70g sugar
Finely chop the chocolate
and set aside in a large bowl.
Heat milk and cream just
until small bubbles form around the side of the pot and it is very hot.
Whisk the egg yolks and the
sugar in a small bowl. Temper the hot dairy by slowly pouring in the milk mixture
into the yolk mixture, stirring constantly.
When all of the milk is
incorporated, return the custard to the pot and cook over medium-high
heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
Once the custard reaches nappè, 175°
F, strain it over the chocolate and slowly stir with the whisk. Let the cream
sit for 1 minute to melt the chocolate, then continue stirring until combined.
Pour the cream into a
pitcher and divide evenly among 6 dessert dishes. Chill in the refrigerator for
at least 4 hours. After 4 hours, cover the surface of cream with plastic wrap.
Notes
The cream will keep for 3
days, with covered with plastic in the refrigerator.
