Deep Dark Chocolate (17 page)

½ cup golden raisins

1 cup
vin santo
or other sweet dessert wine

1 loaf brioche,
pandoro
, or semolina bread, preferably a day or two old

4 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting

¼ teaspoon salt

1¾ cups half-and-half

1 thin bar (4 ounces) premium dark chocolate, broken into irregular ¾-inch pieces

4 to 6 crushed amaretti cookies such as Amaretti di Saronno, for dusting

Powdered sugar for dusting

Crème fraîche for serving

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the raisins and
vin santo
to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Let cool and strain, reserving both the raisins and the
vin santo.

Generously butter a large, 3-inch-deep oval casserole or baking dish, and dust the inside with granulated sugar. Tap out the excess. Slice off the ends of the brioche and discard them. Cut the loaf into eight ½-inch slices. (If you’re using fresh bread, lightly toast it.) Cut the slices in half on the diagonal and arrange them in the dish by
leaning each half-slice against its partner with its cut-side down. A pattern will emerge of exposed rounded tops on one side and exposed square-cornered bottoms on the other side. Scatter the raisins over the dish.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a medium bowl, whisk in the ¼ cup of sugar and the salt, and beat until well blended. Beat in the half-and-half, then stir in the vanilla and the reserved
vin santo.
Ladle or pour the custard over the brioche, spooning custard over any pieces of brioche that are still exposed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Tilt the pan and spoon any remaining custard in the pan over the brioche. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare a water bath by placing a terry-cloth washcloth in the bottom of a roasting or similar-style pan. (This prevents the pan from sliding, insulates the bottom, and helps prevent overcooking.) Lay the chocolate pieces on the exposed pieces of brioche. Place the dish on the washcloth in the prepared roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake until the top of the pudding is golden and the custard is set, about 45 minutes. Remove the pudding from the water bath and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Before serving, sprinkle the bread pudding with the crushed amaretti and a dusting of powdered sugar. Accompany each portion with a dollop of crème fraîche. The pudding is best eaten within a day or two of baking. Any leftovers should be kept covered in the refrigerator.

Variation

For
Rustic-style Bread Pudding
(as seen in the facing photo), substitute an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan. Instead of cutting each slice in half on the diagonal, tear each slice in 3 to 6 pieces and distribute them evenly over the prepared pan. Scatter the raisins among the pieces, tossing lightly. Proceed as directed.

Tea-Cup Chocolate Custard With Star Anise

serves
6

THIS SIMPLE, YET SOPHISTICATED, DESSERT HAS ONLY A
few ingredients, so it’s important to use the best and the freshest you can buy. Go for a premium chocolate and buy a new jar of star anise to replace the one that’s been lurking in your kitchen cabinet far too long.

4 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped

¹
/
₃
cup granulated sugar

¼ cup whole star-anise pods (about 8 pods)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half, sugar, and star anise until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Strain the half-and-half through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the star anise. Reheat the half-and-half until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan, and pour it over the chocolate. Let stand for 3 to 4 minutes, then whisk until the mixture is smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Slowly whisk ½ cup of the chocolate mixture into the eggs until blended. Then slowly whisk the egg mixture into the remaining hot-chocolate mixture. Strain the chocolate custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup measuring cup. Divide among six ½-cup ovenproof, Asian-style porcelain tea
cups (without handles) or porcelain ramekins. Place the cups in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the teacups. Bake the custards until set, about 55 minutes or until the center is slightly jiggly. Remove the pan from the oven; let the custards cool in water in pan. Remove the custards from the water bath and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill, covered, until 30 minutes before serving.

Valrhona Dark Chocolate Pots De Crème

serves
6

THE TEXTURE OF THESE DEEP, DARK LITTLE POTS IS
luxurious—it’s like eating chocolate silk.

We thank chef Christopher Israel and Bruce Carey, owner of 23 Hoyt in Portland, Oregon, for this exquisite, lightly set, baked chocolate custard. At the restaurant, they use Valrhona Guanaja bittersweet chocolate, but feel free to use any premium dark chocolate with a flavor that delights you.

6 ounces Valrhona Guanaja chocolate (70%) or other premium dark chocolate (64% to 72%), chopped

1½ cups heavy (whipping) cream

6 large egg yolks, at room temperature

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

In a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream and milk until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk ½ cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture, then gradually whisk the yolk mixture into the hot cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens. To check for doneness, draw your finger through the custard on the back of the spoon; it should leave a trail.

Pour the hot custard over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is blended. Strain the custard through
a fine-mesh sieve, cover, and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter six 4-ounce porcelain ramekins or pot-de-crème pots. Prepare a water bath by placing a terry-cloth washcloth in the bottom of a roasting or similar-style pan, and arrange the ramekins on top of it. (This prevents the ramekins from sliding, insulates their bottoms, and helps prevent overcooking.) Scoop the chilled custard into the ramekins. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake, covered, until the outsides are set and the middles still jiggle, about 25 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, until 30 minutes before serving.