Budino is a sweet, creamy Italian pudding and today, we are making budino al cioccolato, which is a beautifully rich chocolate version of this Italian classic.
This is not your typical chocolate pudding and although the ingredient list is lengthy, the recipe is fairly straight forward and comes together pretty quick. It needs to be chilled for a few hours before serving, so this is a great dessert to make ahead for dinner parties or to ensure that you have a sweet treat waiting for you after work each night of the week.
Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 5 egg yolks, 4 ounces of chopped dark chocolate, 4 ounces of chopped milk chocolate, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup of whole milk, 3/4 cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of whole milk and 3/4 cup of heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 5 egg yolks. Place the saucepan over medium heat and once it begins to steam, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 8 minutes stirring consistently until the mixture begins to thicken.
In a large bowl, add 4 ounces of chopped dark chocolate, 4 ounces of chopped milk chocolate and 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.
As soon as the milk mixture has thickened enough that it will coat the back of a spoon or spatula when dipped into the mixture, pour it over the chocolate and butter and whisk until the chocolate has fully melted and everything has fully combined.
Now transfer the mixture into either four 8 ounce heat proof glasses or ramekins or six smaller ramekins. This dessert is rich and a little bit is all you need, so if you are serving your budino after a heavy meal, I suggest dividing the amount between six servings.
However, if you want a larger portion (no judgements here) then use four of the larger ramekins.
Cover the ramekins with a paper towel and chill the budino in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. Budino can be made a day or two in advance though, as it chills very well and will be incredibly delicious whenever you decide to enjoy it.
Look at that beautiful texture. It is airy, but rich and luxurious and perfectly chocolatey. It pairs very well with my espresso whipped cream and some chocolate shavings, if you want to dress it up a little…
If you are looking for a stunningly rich chocolate dessert then you have to give this budino al cioccolato a try. I am quite positive that you are going to love it.
Buon appetito!
Budino al Cioccolato
Ingredients
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 3/4 cup of heavy cream
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 4 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped
- 4 ounces of milk chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup of whole milk and 3/4 cup of heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 5 egg yolks in a small saucepan over medium heat
- Place 4 ounces of chopped dark chocolate, 4 ounces of chopped milk chocolate and 1 tablespoon of butter into a large bowl and set aside for now
- As soon as the milk mixture in the saucepan begins to steam, reduce the heat to medium low and cook while whisking for about 8 minutes or until the mixture thickens
- Pour the thickened milk mixture over the chopped chocolate and butter
- Whisk until the chocolate is melted and all of the ingredients are fully incorporated
- Divide the mixture between four 8 ounce ramekins or six 6 ounce ramekins
- Chill the budino covered with a paper towel for 2 or more hours before serving
- Garnish with espresso whipped cream and chocolate shavings (optional)
