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Author:
Franco Salzillo
The word pudding can mean many things. In England, they’ll use it even for savory food. For most of us, though, pudding is just a dessert, a delicious one indeed.
What makes a pudding, at least for me, is the texture; it should be palate-coating and creamy, smooth as silk and subtly sweet. What you use to give flavor to it is another matter.
Below you’ll find a recipe for my favorite pudding, the coffee pudding. It’s my favorite not only because it ends up fantastic but because you only need six ingredients and fifteen minutes. That’s the type of dessert I like, the effortless kind.
For this pudding recipe, you’ll need granulated sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee, cornstarch, milk and a dash of vanilla extract.
The cocoa powder and the coffee give the pudding its personality, while the cornstarch will thicken the custardy treat to the right pudding-like texture.
Puddings are also super easy to cook; you only need to mix the ingredients over a low flame and stir. The more you cook the pudding, the thicker it will be, so feel free to experiment.
Why do I add cocoa power, you ask? Instant coffee is too straightforward to be the only flavoring agent in the recipe. When combined with cocoa powder, it’s much more generous and intense. Trust me, this pudding tastes like coffee and not really chocolate, so fear not.
The nicest way of serving a homemade coffee pudding is in individual glass plates or cups. Even stemmed wine glasses will do.
As for the garnish, I love to top the pudding with a mint or basil sprig, a dollop of whipping cream or a cherry. Sometimes I’ll use all three garnishes. A roasted coffee bean is a nice touch too.
Talking about serving pudding, let me tell you your pudding is pretty stable, so you can make it the night before, actually, for pudding, the colder, the better. Warm pudding is awful.
Let’s check out today’s recipe and make some coffee pudding. I can’t wait!
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee and cornstarch. Incorporate the vanilla extract and then the milk while whisking with a slow, steady stream.
Transfer to a saucepan, and heat over a low flame while stirring until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
Pour the pudding mixture into your serving glasses and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Garnish with a mint sprig, a dollop of whipped cream or a cherry.
