Homemade Chocolate Pudding Cups with Mint Grasshopper Cream
Yield: 6 servings
Everyone should try making homemade pudding at least once in their lifetime.
Ingredients
for the chocolate pudding:
- ¼ c. cornstarch
- ½ c. sugar
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 3 c. whole milk
- 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate baking bar)
- 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bar)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
for the mint grasshopper cream:
- 1 c. heavy whipping cream
- ¼ c. powdered sugar
- 4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 T. creme de menthe syrup
- 1 to 2 tsp. pure mint extract
- green food paste I used AmeriColor Leaf Green #111
- bittersweet chocolate shavings
Instructions
for the chocolate pudding:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk, in a thin steam at first so that lumps don’t form, then more quickly once the cornstarch mixture is smoothly incorporated. Place over medium-low heat and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. If any lumps begin to form, use a whisk to break them up. After 15 to 20 minutes (slower over lower heat is better, to give the cornstarch time to cook), before the pudding starts to simmer, the mixture will thicken, enough that it will coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the chocolate, and continue stirring for another 2 to 4 minutes, until chocolate is fully incorporated and mixture is quite thick.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Divide warm pudding among 6 individual pudding cups or one large serving bowl, and chill until it is cool and set, about 2 to 3 hours. If you dislike pudding skin (I happen to like it!), place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface before refrigerating. This recipe can easily be prepared a day prior to serving.
for the mint grasshopper cream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip cream until stiff. Add powdered sugar and whip until combined and very stiff. Remove whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside. Add cream cheese to mixer bowl (no need to wash the bowl or whip attachment) and whip until very smooth, with no lumps. Add creme de menthe syrup and whip to thoroughly combine. If you really like mint (like we do!), add up to 2 teaspoons of pure mint extract. And if you want the mint grasshopper cream to be a deeper green color (we did!), add a bit of green food paste until the desired color is reached. Mix to incorporate.
- With a spatula, gently fold in 1-1/2 cups of the reserved whipped cream (you will have some left over). Place mint grasshopper cream in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Fold the cooled mint grasshopper cream a couple times, and then spoon it into a pastry bag fit with a large star tip (I used Wilton 1M). Pipe swirls of the grasshopper cream onto the tops of each chilled pudding cup. You could also skip the pastry bag and just spoon a good sized dollop of the grasshopper cream onto each pudding cup.
- Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and serve immediately, or place in refrigerator to serve within one day.
Notes
Chocolate pudding recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from John Scharffenberger, via Wednesday Chef.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 637kcal Carbohydrates: 65g Protein: 9g Fat: 38g Saturated Fat: 23g Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 76mg Sodium: 185mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 50g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.