Parfaits

I'm told, that my chocolate pudding is exceptional. As it isn't one of my favourite desserts, my enthusiasm for making it just isn't there. On the occasions when I do make it though, people do carry on a bit over the flavour, texture, etc. I suppose if you've only ever had pudding from a box, then it would seem pretty terrific.

I made mine with skim milk because that's what I keep on hand these days (powdered, no less). My son drinks three 8 oz. glasses a day and isn't very particular about the fat content of his milk. I figured with all the butter and heavy cream that passes through this house, skim milk would be a good balance if he'd drink it-and he does. Because there is a bit of butter in the pudding as well, I'd avoid making it with whole milk-it just seems like overkill for pudding.

The whipped cream was straightforward enough though I added1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to give it some depth. That would be optional, or irrelevant if using pre-made whipped cream.

As you can see, I don't own parfait glasses, but these seemed to do the trick. I suppose there's a learning curve for neatly layering parfaits, but hopefully I won't be making these often enough to master it. I did get an impressed look from my three year old when he saw I was making something he had requested from a cookbook illustration. I guess it doesn't take much to impress a toddler.

So here's the pudding recipe. You can make it as vanilla by omitting the chocolate and only using 1/4 cup sugar.

You Will Need:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, shaved

2 egg yolks

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a heavy saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, chocolate and egg. Slowly add the milk and cook over low heat, whisking constantly. When mixture comes to a boil, cook one additional minute. Remove from heat. Beat in butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on pudding surface to prevent a skin forming. With a sharp knife, poke a couple of holes in the film to let heat escape. Cool in fridge.

Layer as desired with whipped cream, or pour into small dishes and serve cold.