This classic French Chocolate Pudding is so deep and rich with chocolate and cocoa powder that a small portion fully satisfies even the most ardent chocoholics. The Artist and I always enjoy this treat at our local French restaurant. Boy do we love those meals with the incredible food, amazing wine, and hours of laughter with the owners and other diners.
Once the craziness of the holidays are over, I turn my attention to the various awards shows for the entertainment industry. And because it is such an elegant showcase for the beautiful people, today’s recipe for French Chocolate Pudding is the perfect way to celebrate the winners!
Use whipped cream to hide any “oops” on the surface
When I was a little girl, my mother and I would sit in the dark, watching all the gorgeous actors and actresses walking the red carpet, oohing and aahing over the gowns and hairstyles, laughing at the jokes, and applauding as our favorite performer’s names were called.
With proverbial stars in my eyes, I dreamed of being on that big stage, accepting my own award one day. While I wasn’t an actress, I sang in every choir I could growing up, was a vocal performance major in college, and went on to sing with all the major choruses in the Bay Area and Sacramento including the San Francisco Symphony! I never made the awards, but I had fun performing for many large audiences over the years.
Each year The Artist and I watch the various awards shows, enjoying our tradition – one of our earliest dates was to watch the Oscars together. We make a picnic dinner with finger foods, relax as we snack and watch the shows. And I am always looking for fun, different, easy-to-make desserts for our award evenings … and I made a great one for our Golden Globes dinner, this amazing pudding!
These French pudding desserts are an incredible treat after any dinner. They can be made a couple of days ahead making it even easier for you on the day of your event! Just bring them out, top with whipped cream, shave some chocolate over the top, and serve. Everyone will love them!
You may have noticed that some of the photos are red, white, and blue. The French have the same colors on their flag as we do! A striking combination for photography!
As you’ve heard me say before, when you have a short ingredient list, each one takes on more importance in the final dish. This is the time to buy a higher quality chocolate and let it shine! My favorites are Guittard, Valrhona, and Callebaut. Use the best you can find and afford.
Whipping your own cream makes all the difference in flavor and texture. You will never go back to the tub of whipped “topping” again. A little sugar and vanilla in the cream and you have just the right combination to lighten and balance the chocolate. And if the tops of the puddings aren’t perfect (like mine), the whipped cream covers up any boo boos!
While the puddings are chilling, whip the extra cream. Go back and chop the reserved chocolate very finely. You can also use a vegetable peeler along the edge for shreds. Use these as the decoration on the top of the cream and bring your desserts to new heights.
Have a wonderful week my friends – Happy Chocolate Monday!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
6 Ingredients needed for French Chocolate Pudding:
- Heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, semisweet chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder, egg yolks
PRO Tip:
To help avoid splashing any water into the pudding, you can use the back of a wide spatula, pie plate, or small dinner plate to protect them. Hold the spatula or plate so that it blocks the ramekin and pour the water down the back of the spatula and into the pan. This greatly reduces your chances of getting water in the puddings.
How to make French Chocolate Pudding:
- Make the Chocolate Cream: Heat the cream with 2 tbsp of the sugar, to just below a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. In a heatproof bowl (like an aluminum bowl) combine chocolate and cocoa. Slowly add the hot cream, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Return the chocolate mixture to the same saucepan being sure to get it all in the pan; reduce heat to low.
- In the same bowl, whisk the yolks with remaining 3 tbsp sugar until smooth. While whisking, slowly add about 1/4 cup (59 ml) of the hot cream/chocolate mixture to gently warm the eggs. Then slowly add the yolk mixture to the rest of the chocolate cream, whisking vigorously so you don’t scramble the eggs. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture is 170°F (77°C), 2 to 3 minutes. Pour immediately through the sieve in the bowl beneath it to remove any solids. Whisk the vanilla into the chocolate cream.
- Bake the Custards: Evenly divide the mixture between 4 (6 oz; 177 ml) ramekins and set them in a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan. Carefully place the pan on the middle rack in a preheated 325°F (163°C) oven. Very carefully, slowly pour very hot water into the pan (do Not splash any water into the ramekins) until about halfway up the sides of the dishes.
- Gently lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the ramekins and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set about 1/4-inch (6mm) in from the sides and the center has a firm jiggle when nudged (not a wavelike motion) and the centers register 150° to 155°F (66° to 68°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Cool and Serve: Very carefully remove the pan from the oven and let the custards remain in the water until it cools to room temperature. Set the ramekins on a wire rack to finish cooling completely. When cool, cover each one with a square of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream and grated chocolate if desired.
PRO Tip:
In order to sift the cocoa powder, set a fine wire sieve over a bowl and pour the cocoa into the sieve. Shake it to transfer the cocoa into the bowl, knocking the edge of the sieve against the palm of your hand. If you wind up with large clumps, use a spoon to press them through the wire sieve.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Fine wire sieve
- Large saucepan
- 6-oz ramekins
- Medium saucepan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Instant read thermometer
Gluten-Free Tips:
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more specific than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
French Chocolate Pudding Recipe
This is a classic French pudding that is so deep and rich with chocolate and cocoa powder that a small portion fully satisfies even the most ardent chocoholics. Enjoy this at your next dinner party and you'll get applause!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454g) heavy cream
- 1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 1 oz (3 tbsp; 28g) finely chopped semisweet chocolate, plus extra for garnishing
- 1/2 oz (2 tbsp; 14g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 5 large (70g) egg yolks
Instructions
1. Put a large pot of water with at least 5 cups (1135g; 1183 ml) of water on to boil for the water bath. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low to keep hot.
2. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. (163°C) Place four (6-oz; 177 ml) ramekins in a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan or roasting pan and set aside. Set a wire sieve over a heatproof bowl.
3. Make the chocolate cream: In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, heat the cream with 2 tbsp of the sugar, stirring to dissolve, until just below boiling. There will be steam coming off the surface and small bubbles will form around the edges.
4. In a heatproof mixing bowl, combine the chocolate and cocoa, stirring to mix together. Slowly add the hot cream, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. If needed, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water to make sure all the chocolate pieces have melted. Return the mixture to the saucepan using a spatula to get all the mixture into the pan; reduce the heat to low.
5. In the same bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 3 tbsp sugar until smooth. While you are whisking the eggs, slowly add about 1/4 cup (59 ml) of the hot cream, gently warming the eggs. Slowly add the yolk mixture to the rest of the chocolate cream, whisking vigorously to avoid scrambling the eggs. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 170°F (77°C) on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 min. Pour immediately through the sieve into the bowl beneath it. (This removes any solid pieces of chocolate or egg.) Whisk the vanilla into the chocolate cream.
6. Bake the custards: Evenly divide the mixture among the ramekins in the roasting pan. Pull out the oven shelf, put the roasting pan with the ramekins in it and carefully pour enough boiling water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Try not to splash any into the custards*.
7. Gently lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the ramekins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the custards are set about 1/4 inch (6mm) in from the sides. The centers will have a firm jiggle (not a wavelike motion) when you nudge the ramekins, and the centers of the custards register 150° to 155°F (66° to 68°C) on an instant-read thermometer (the hole left by the thermometer will close up as the custards firm and you can cover it with whipped cream).
8. Remove the pan from the oven and let the custards remain in the water bath until it cools to room temperature. Gently lift the ramekins out of the bath, set them on a wire rack to finish cooling, and when they are cooled, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to two days before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate if you like.
9. Serving Suggestions: Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream (or a rosette from a pastry bag), and you can add a sprig of mint or chocolate shavings sprinkled on top.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* To help avoid splashing any water into the pudding, you can use the back of wide spatula or pie plate to protect them. Hold the spatula or plate so that it blocks the ramekin and pour the water down the back and into the pan. This greatly reduces your chances of getting water in the puddings.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a recipe from Fine Cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 247mgSodium: 16mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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