Chocolate Pudding - Budino

Serves 6

Ingredients

3/4 litre milk
75 grams good chocolate
75 grams Savoiardi biscuits
75 grams vanilla sugar (which has been infused in a jar with fresh vanilla bean for some time), or 75 grams plain sugar and 1 packet vanilla powder (4 grams) *
3 whole eggs
12 grams Droste cocoa powder
pinch of sugar
6 individual pudding bowls

Method

Grease pudding bowls really well with a piece of paper and then dust with sugar

Put milk, vanilla sugar and chocolate into a saucepan and heat. If using vanilla powder add after the chocolate has dissolved

When just about to boil, add the Savoiardi and let the mixture cook for a while, at least 8 minutes. The biscuits have to break up completely.

To give a more bitter flavour to the chocolate add some Droste cocoa powder with a pinch of sugar, dissolve separately in the hot milk, then combine with the rest of the mixture.

When biscuits are dissolved. Take off heat and let themcool down completely. It gets quite thick when it cools down. If it is too hot it will cook the eggs which are added next.

Pre-set oven to 250 degrees C

When completely cool vitamize till smooth

Mix the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture

Then spoon mixture into bowls and cook in a water bath

Cooking time 40 minutes

When puddings are cooked, do not take straight out of oven because they will sink with the contrast in temperature from the hot oven to the cold outside.

Turn off the heat and let the oven cool down before taking them out.

The pudding comes away from the edges when it is cooked. When you press it, is slightly resilient on the edge but still soft in the centre when shaken

If not serving straight away, warm the pudding moulds to let the butter melt and then turn out. Serve upside down.

The budino is best served warm rather than cold. Serve with pure cream.

And, to make it really rich, you can make a pure chocolate sauce and spike it with rum. Rum and chocolate are good partners.

BUDINO HINTS

Pudding bowls
You can make the budino in one big bowl and then cut into portions. You can do in whatever portion size you like, depending on your bowls and appetite. The recipe here is for 6 medium size portions

Other flavours
You can add nuts. Roast almonds and mince them. Also hazelnuts or pine nuts or roasted and minced chestnuts

*Vanilla powder
It is always better to have the flavour of vanilla beans but if you do not have them, the Vanillin powder (Sammartino brand), imported from Italy is very good. Use packet of 4 grams for up to a litre of milk.

Savoiardi biscuits
If using the Australian made Unibic brand, they have to boil 20 minutes and the puddings may become heavy. The imported Italian Savoiardi, are better. (Vicenzovo imported by Basile Imports. Also called Dulciora - which has a pudding recipe on the bag)