TCHO Chocolate Pudding

Photo credit: Brian Benton

Yield: 8, 2-inch ramekins

Chocolate Pudding

1 cup milk
4 gelatin sheets (gold)
2 cups cream
1 pound TCHO 54% Dark Milk Chocolate
¼ teaspoon salt

Caramel Topping

8 ounces sugar
2 ounces water
1 cup cream
½ ounce butter
¼ teaspoon salt
splash of vanilla

Chocolate Pudding

Place your gelatin sheets in a cup of cold water to bloom for 3 minutes. Set aside.
Place the chocolate in a large bowl, and set aside.
In a small saucepot, heat the cream and whisk in the bloomed gelatin sheets on medium heat until it starts to simmer.
Pour the liquid over the chocolate and whisk together until smooth then pour the chocolate mixture into 8, 2-inch ramekins then place in the refrigerator to set.
After fifteen minutes cover the pudding with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed against the surface and refrigerate until fully thickened, about 2 hours.

Caramel

In a tall stainless steel pot, on low heat, stir together the sugar and water with a spatula until the sugar is completely melted. Then, remove your spatula, turn up the heat and cook until the mixture starts to bubble and turn a dark amber color.
TCHO Pro Tip: For best results, once you have increased the temperature, do not use a utensil in the pot to prevent the sugar from crystalizing. You may gently swirl the caramel in the pot using the pot handle.
Once the sugar is a dark amber color, turn off the heat and gently add the cream in 2-3 parts and whisk together.
Add softened butter, salt, and vanilla and whisk together until smooth.
Let the caramel cool for 30 minutes.

Pour chocolate pudding into small ramekins, set in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Pour room temperature caramel over the chocolate pudding.
Chop TCHO 54% Dark Milk Chocolate into small pieces and sprinkle over the caramel for added flavor and texture.
Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Made by TCHO Pro Jessica Craig, pastry chef at Almond in Bridgehampton, NY. Read more about her career in pastry in our article, “Executive Pastry Chef Jessica Craig Has High Hopes for the Post-COVID Restaurant Industry.”