No-Bake Chocolate Custard

I tore this out of the most recent issue of Food & Wine. I don't tear out of Fine Cooking, but I got tired of saving Food & Wine magazines that I like to read but rarely cook from. So now if I see something in there that I want to make, I rip it out. Ouch.

One thing that appealed to me about this recipe is that it's super easy and only makes 2 servings, which is nice when you don't want a lot of leftover sweets lying around the house. Since it doesn't make much, I could also splurge on ingredients, like Valrhona extra bitter (66%). At $14.99 it's not on my everyday grocery list. But I only need 3 ounces and it's nice being able to buy exactly the amount I need from the bulk department at Central Market.

The recipe suggests chilling the custards briefly. If you chill them longer, they firm up substantially. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you want a softer, more pudding texture, take them out of the refrigerator to come closer to room temperature before you eat them.

No-Bake Chocolate Custard
Food & Wine, February 2006

1/4 cup milk
3 T. sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus shaved chocolate for serving
pinch of salt
2 T. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of ground cinnamon

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and 2 T. of the sugar. Heat until steaming and the sugar has dissolved. Put the egg yolk in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Off the heat, add the chopped chocolate and salt. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter. Pour the custard into 2 shallow bowls and refrigerate briefly, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream with the cinnamon and the remaining 1 T. of sugar until softly whipped. Dollop the cream on the custards, sprinkle the chocolate shavings on the cream and serve.