Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Cups

By AzWench

This is the best and simplest chocolate pudding ever, all dressed up for family (or company) with layers of crushed almond cookies, and topped with whipped cream. When you just want pudding you can skip the cookies and pour the pudding directly into heatproof cups or ramekins.

Ingredients

• Pudding:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 2/3 cups whole milk
• 2 bars (8 ounces) Ghirardelli Bittersweet 70% Cacao Baking Bars, broken into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 36 to 48 small (1 1/2”) amaretti cookies
• Cream:
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from ghirardelli.com

Preparation

Step 1

Pudding: Put 2 or 3 roughly crushed amaretti cookies (2 to 3 tablespoons) into the bottoms of six 6-8-ounce glasses.

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a heavy medium saucepan.

Whisk in about 3 tablespoons of the milk to dissolve the cornstarch, then whisk in the remaining milk and add the chocolate pieces.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with the whisk and scraping the bottom, sides, and corners of the pan, until the chocolate is melted and the first simmer bubbles appear.

Cook the pudding for 2 minutes (adjusting the heat so it bubbles gently)—whisking and scraping the bottom, sides and corners of the pan constantly.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.

Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of pudding on top of the crushed cookies in each glass.

Top with 2 to 3 more crushed cookies.

Repeat twice, for a total of three layers of pudding with crushed cookies between them.

To serve warm: top with whipped cream and served immediately.

To serve chilled: refrigerate before topping with cream.

Cream: In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla until the cream holds a nice shape, not too stiff.

Top the puddings with whipped cream and a pinch of crushed amaretti.