Chapter 1 The Classics If you had to master one group of recipes in this book, this would be it. Basic in technique and elemental in flavor, these recipes will send you straight back to your life''s most satisfying dessert moments. What''s unique here is the way I achieve my results, generally staying away from extracts and shortcuts and instead favoring an extra step or two--Âroasting bananas, infusing milk, using only the finest chocolate--Âthat separate these puddings from the pack. Road test these recipes and I think you''ll find that rather than being difficult, they''re designed to succeed. Most start out similarly: infusing milk with this flavor or that, thickening with cornstarch and eggs, heating into a custard, straining, and cooling. After a while the method becomes second nature, a new dessert language that you''ll nearly commit to memory over time. Chocolate Pudding * { serves 8 } This pudding has major sentimental value, since it was the first one I made for my current business partner, Noah, when I was working as his personal chef. He loved it so much he suggested we open Puddin''--Âand the rest is history.
When we adapted the recipe for the shop, we taste-Âtested 15 different brands of chocolate, and the clear winner was an Icelandic brand, Noà SÃrÃus. Any other high quality 70 percent cocoa chocolate will do in a pinch. I designed this pudding not to be too sweet or too stiff--ÂI wanted it to have some wiggle to it and allow the purest taste of chocolate to come through. 5 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 3 egg yolks 1 1â„3 cups sugar 1â„4 cup cocoa powder 1â„4 cup cornstarch 1â„8 teaspoon salt 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped 1. In a medium saucepan, vigorously whisk together milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. 2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warm, 3-Â4 minutes. 3.
Add chocolate and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until pudding begins to thicken, 14-Â15 minutes. (Once you can lift the whisk from the pudding and it leaves a faint shadow, it''s done. The pudding will seem fairly loose, but it will thicken up further as it chills.) 4. Strain the pudding through a fine-Âmesh sieve into a bowl, pressing pudding through sieve with a silicone spatula. 5. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, press a layer of plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding, and chill until completely cold, 2 hours. Suggested pairing: Whipped Cream (page 70) Vanilla Pudding * { serves 6-8 } It may seem like heresy to some, but I love vanilla so much that chocolate comes in a distant second.
Growing up, I got in the habit of dabbing my mom''s Madagascar vanilla extract behind my ears, and it quickly became my signature scent. I usually avoid using flavor extracts in my recipes, but this one is an exception--Âthe round, floral, and musky notes of good-Âquality vanilla extract reinforce the flavor achieved by infusing the milk and cream with a scraped vanilla bean. And you can forget about vanilla''s reputation for being "boring"--Âeven sworn chocoholics are converted once they taste this version. One spoonful of this pure, simple treat, and you''ll see why. 2 1â„2 cups whole milk 2 1â„2 cups heavy cream 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped out and reserved 1 cup sugar 6 tablespoons cornstarch 6 egg yolks 1â„4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1. In a medium saucepan heat the milk, cream, and vanilla bean and seeds until steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat and allow to steep 30 minutes. Chill completely in refrigerator, 1-Â2 hours.
2. Add sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt to saucepan and whisk vigorously. 3. Place pot over medium-Âhigh heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, 5-Â6 minutes. (Once you can lift the whisk from the pudding and it leaves a faint shadow, it''s done. Pudding will seem fairly loose, but it will thicken up further as it chills.) 4. Strain the pudding through a fine-Âmesh sieve into a bowl, pressing pudding through sieve with a silicone spatula.
Whisk in vanilla extract. 5. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, press a layer of plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding, and chill completely in refrigerator, 2 hours. Suggested pairings: Salted Caramel Sauce (page 59); Fudge Sauce (page 60); Cherry Compote (page 61) Butterscotch Pudding * { serves 8 } Ever since I was a kid, my dad''s nightly indulgence has been a single glass of Famous Grouse Scotch whiskey, which he nurses throughout the night. When I started rethinking butterscotch pudding, I used that ice-Âfilled glass with its slowly receding contents as my inspiration--Âand Dad''s bottle of hooch as "research material." Then I had some fun by cooking up some brown butter, which adds a roasty, toasty, nutty flavor that makes everything it touches taste a little bit better. I add the shot of dad''s Famous Grouse at the end for maximum impact. Dad, this one''s for you--ÂI promise to replace that bottle sometime soon! For the butterscotch Sauce: 1 stick butter 1â„2 cup heavy cream 1 cup loosely packed dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons vanilla extract For the Pudding: 2 1â„2 cups whole milk 2 1â„2 cups heavy cream 6 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1â„4 teaspoon salt 6 egg yolks 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2-Â3 tablespoons Scotch whiskey (preferably Famous Grouse; amount depends on how strong you want it) Make butterscotch Sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, cooking until golden brown in color, 2-3 minutes.
The butter should look like honey and smell like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. 2. Add cream, brown sugar, and salt, then raise heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thickened, 4-Â5 minutes. 3. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, cover, and set aside. Make Pudding: 1. In a medium saucepan, vigorously whisk together milk, cream, cornstarch, brown sugar, salt, and egg yolks.
2. Cook over medium-Âhigh heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened, 6-Â8 minutes. (Once you can lift the whisk from the pudding and it leaves a faint shadow, it''s done.) 3. Strain the pudding through a fine-Âmesh sieve into a bowl, pressing pudding through sieve with a silicone spatula. Whisk in vanilla and scotch. 4. Pour the warm butterscotch sauce into the hot pudding base in three additions, whisking until fully incorporated.
5. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, press a layer of plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding, and chill completely in refrigerator, 2 hours. Suggested pairings: Peanut Brittle Bits (page 74); Salted Caramel Sauce (page 59) Banana Pudding * { serves 6-8 } There''s definitely a banana divide in my family. My mom, the banana-Âhater, sits on one side of the fence, while the rest of us sit on the other, peeling to our hearts'' content. Me? I love banana shakes, banana cake, banana ice cream--Âyou name it! Creating this pudding, I knew I didn''t want to use banana extract or banana liqueur, so I had my work cut out for me. Mom and I discovered a method of roasting bananas whole in their skins; the bananas turn soft and gray on the outside, almost caramelizing. After roasting, let them cool for a while--Âno one wants to peel a hot banana! 8 ripe medium bananas, skins on (about 3 1â„2-Â4 pounds) 2 1â„2 cups whole milk 2 1â„2 cups heavy cream 1 cup sugar 6 tablespoons cornstarch 6 egg yolks 1â„4 teaspoon salt 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place bananas (do not peel) on a rimmed baking sheet and poke all over with a fork. (Go ahead--Âjust let all your rage out on those bananas.) 3. Roast bananas until super-Âsoft, 25-Â30 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. 4. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat milk and cream until hot to the touch but not boiling, about 7-8 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat. 5. Peel bananas and mash in a bowl, add to hot milk, cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, and cover. Let steep in refrigerator at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. 6. Over a medium saucepan, pour bananas and milk through a fine-Âmesh strainer or wrap in a double layer of cheesecloth. Strain as much of the milk out of the bananas as you can, reserving banana mash for Banana Upside-ÂDown Cake with Malted Pudding (page 103). 7.
Add cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt to saucepan and whisk thoroughly. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, 9 minutes. (Once you can lift the whisk from the pudding and it leaves a faint shadow, it''s done. Pudding will seem fairly loose, but it will thicken up further as it chills.) 8. Strain the pudding through a fine-Âmesh strainer into a bowl, pressing pudding through sieve with a silicone spatula. 9. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, press a layer of plastic wrap onto the surface.