Chocolate decadence in a bowl

I was on the prowl for dessert last week after we had finished a delicious dinner at a barbecue restaurant. I'm not sure how I still had room for dessert after a 1/2 pound of brisket and assorted sides but that's neither here nor there. 

Badly.

I saw chocolate pudding on the menu but ... meh. I remembered the pre-packaged pudding from the grocery store and was not at all excited.  That is, until the waitress told me the pudding was homemade and featured crushed Oreos and mini chocolate chips.

SOLD!

The pudding was rich, smooth and thick -- almost mousse-like. The cookies and mini-chips added a nice crunch.

It was a dessert I desperately wanted to recreate at home and thankfully, my son turned 4 years old this week so it was the perfect opportunity to experiment. After an earlier birthday party with friends and then one with family which both featured his beloved ice cream cake, I needed something different that didn't involve ice cream for his actual birthday.

This pudding is beyond simple to prepare. Just be sure to use good quality chocolate. The fewer the ingredients in a recipe, the more important it is to use the highest quality ingredients you can find.  This recipe is from Scharffenberger which makes wonderful chocolate. I used Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and they worked beautifully.  I also substituted the copycat Oreos made by the brand Newman's Own and again, no issues with the substitution.

I will give you fair warning that this is an extraordinarily rich dessert and probably not for you if you don't LOVE chocolate.  But, if chocolate is your thing and if it is sweltering hot by you tonight, I highly advise tucking into a ramekin full of cold, silky chocolate pudding. It truly is decadence in a bowl.

Chocolate Pudding with Crushed Oreos and Mini-Chocolate Chips

Serves 4-6

**This recipe requires a double boiler. I do not own a double boiler but simply fill a pot up with a small amount of water and rest a glass bowl on top of the pot. Take care to make sure the water, once bubbling, does NOT hit the bottom of the bowl.  If it does you have too much water in the pot.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 6 ounces high quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Oreos or other comparable cookie (use as many as you wish)
• Mini-chocolate chips (use as many as you wish)

Details

• Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping th ebottom and sides.
• Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Pour pudding into small ramekins or bowls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
• When you are ready to serve the pudding, place cookies in a bag and crush them and sprinkle on top of the pudding along with mini-chocolate chips.

Recipe adapted from Scharffen Berger