One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was Deb’s book, The Smitten Kitchen. As with her blog, I want to make pretty much everything the woman puts in print. But, decided on this white chocolate pudding with blackberry curd as a great place to start. I’m not really a fan of white chocolate, or at least I’ve thought I haven’t been. But over the past year it’s really grown on me – and how could any form of pudding be, really?
We enjoyed these the night before we left for Charleston, they were that easy to bring together. Even with an insanely hectic day I still managed to carve out 10 minutes to cook the pudding, and the curd. Speaking of curd, I’d never had any flavor other than lemon – and let me just tell you, I’m sold. They were just so darn pretty, and delicious. The pudding was creamy and rich. And the blackberry curd on top was such a nice punch in contrast with the sweetness from the pudding. I’m looking forward to trying it with raspberry as well!
White Chocolate Pudding with Blackberry Curd
For the pudding:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 1/4 cups whole milk
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For the blackberry curd:
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
To make the pudding, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a heavy bottom saucepan. Whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over low heat and stir constantly, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary, should lumps begin to form. After about 15 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl with a spout, and pour into individual serving dishes. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Meanwhile, purée berries in a food processor or blender until as smooth as possible. Press through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. You should have between 3 and 4 tablespoons of purée.
Whisk together the blackberry purée, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and egg in a heavy 1-quart saucepan. Stir in the butter, and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until the curd is thick enough to hold the marks of the whisk, and until the first bubble appears on the surface, about 4 to 5 minutes. Divide the curd among prepared cups, gently spreading it on pudding surfaces.
Let chill for 1 hour before serving.
Source: slightly adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
