Spiced Chocolate Budino Recipes

Steps:

• To a medium saucepan, whisk together the half-and-half, whole milk, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Place over medium heat and bring just to a simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 to 5 minute. Remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, whole egg, egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until well combined, thick and pale yellow in color.
• While whisking, slowly pour or ladle in about half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the remaining milk mixture. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened to the consistency of pancake batter, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Place the melted chocolate in a medium bowl. Place a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl. Pour the cooked custard through the strainer into the melted chocolate, pressing it through the strainer. Remove the strainer and whisk the hot custard and chocolate until completely combined and smooth. Stir in the almond extract and olive oil.
• Evenly divide the budino between six 4- to 6-ounce small glass cups, bowls or ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge to chill, 3 to 4 hours.
• In a chilled large bowl, whisk the heavy cream with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add the vanilla paste and continue to whip to soft peaks, about 5 minutes. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap from each budino and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of olive oil, a grating of bittersweet chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Steps:

• Combine chocolate chips, salt, and cayenne in a heat-proof measuring cup; set aside.
• Separate eggs by cracking one egg into your hand over a bowl. Open your fingers slightly and gently jiggle your hand until the egg white falls into the bowl below. Transfer the yolk to a skillet. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reserve egg whites for another use.
• Add sugar, milk, and cream to egg yolks. Whisk thoroughly, breaking egg yolks first, until well combined.
• Place skillet on the stove over medium or medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spoon, until very hot and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read at least 175 degrees F (79 degrees C). Remove from the heat.
• Set a fine sieve over the bowl of reserved chocolate. Strain the custard sauce into the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk until chocolate has melted and custard sauce is smooth and shiny, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and butter; stir until butter has melted, about 1 minute.
• Pour warm custard sauce into 6 serving glasses. Tilt each glass and rotate it around so the warm chocolate coats another 1/2 inch of the glass. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator until completely chilled, at least 3 to 4 hours.
• Combine cream and vanilla extract for topping in a metal bowl and whisk until thickened; make sure no peaks form. Spoon cream into the glasses, then tilt and twirl to coat the sides a bit.
• Garnish with shaved chocolate and serve.

Steps:

• Candied Walnuts:
• Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally to dissolve sugar. As soon as the sugar is dissolved, add walnuts and bring syrup back up to a simmer. Cook, swirling saucepan occasionally for even cooking, until walnuts look slightly translucent and are softened, 30-35 minutes.
• Drain walnuts in a mesh sieve and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Sprinkle walnuts with salt.
• Place a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 300°F. Bake walnuts in oven, stirring once or twice, until well browned, 15-18 minutes. Let cool, then break up into small pieces.
• Budino and assembly:
• Place chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside. Bring cream and milk to a bare simmer in a large saucepan and remove from heat.
• Vigorously whisk egg yolks and sugar in another medium bowl until pale yellow and sugar is dissolved (rub between fingers to check), about 2 minutes.
• Gradually pour cream mixture into egg yolk mixture, whisking vigorously. Immediately pour egg yolk mixture into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula and making sure to get into the corners of the pan, until an instant-read thermometer registers 175°F (custard should be thick enough to coat a spoon; do not let it simmer or allow thermometer to go above 180°F).
• Pour custard over reserved chocolate and let sit until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender or a whisk, blend until emulsified (if using a whisk, you may want to strain budino through a fine-mesh sieve after to ensure a silky texture). Add kosher salt and 1 Tbsp. oil to chocolate mixture and blend to incorporate.
• Divide budino evenly among six 8-12-oz. glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Top each budino with candied walnuts, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little oil. Serve with scoops of gelato if desired.
• Do Ahead
• Walnuts can be candied 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Budinos (without toppings) can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.