The very first dessert I have ever made was the humble vanilla pudding. Fresh milk, tiny sachets of vanilla sugar, cornflour I was eager to sift; such dear memories. I remember being so proud of my creation and how silky it was, and that little victorious moment I still cherish deeply.
To me, there is something so satisfying in watching a swirling medley of ingredients transform into a velvety, glossy dessert. I love the combination of chocolate and oranges, and this is just the type of pudding I enjoy – satiny, rich, and full of delicate milk chocolate flavour, with just a pleasant hint of orange.
I find puddings quite nostalgic and very much enjoy making them. They are simple to make, require a handful of ingredients, and can be served both warm and cold. Personally, this one I prefer to serve ever so slightly warm, with plenty of extra milk chocolate shavings. It also freezes incredibly nicely, and it is marvellous when frozen as individual little ice cream snacks.
Ingredients
600 millilitres whole milk
25 grams cornflour
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon orange zest, freshly grated
200 grams milk chocolate, divided
50 millilitres chocolate cream liqueur, optional
Preparation
Pour 400 millilitres of milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add in the vanilla and the orange zest, and place it over medium-high heat. Pour the rest of the milk into a small bowl, sift in the cornflour and the cocoa powder, and whisk very well. Once the milk starts to gently boil, pour in the cornflour and cocoa mixture, and cook it, while stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, until it thickens. It will resemble a soft custard.
Once thickened, remove it from the heat, and immediately add in 150 grams of the milk chocolate. Let it stand for a minute, so the chocolate starts to melt, and then whisk vigorously until completely melted. Finally, mix in chocolate cream liqueur, if using. Divide the pudding between four serving bowls, let it cool down completely, and serve with plenty of milk chocolate shavings on top. Yields 4 rich servings.
