It has been forever since I have had a pudding. Puddings do seem to not get their due in the modern dessert world but this mint chocolate pudding – made with no eggs and flavoured with fresh mint – is sure to satiate any chocolate craving anytime !
Yes, it is completely and totally made from scratch . It is seriously so easy to make – all in a saucepan. And the perfect recipe for a make ahead dessert , especially if you want individual servings . Christmas is round the corner and doesn’t chocolate with mint fit perfectly into the season’s festive menus!
Lets talk about the mint flavour here. The easiest way of getting a strong mint flavour is to use mint extract . You could make your own or buy a bottle if you like mint flavour. But if you are anything like me , you would probably think twice before buying a bottle of extract that will probably be forgotten in my kitchen after 1 or 2 uses until I decide to make a similar flavour dessert again. Plus some extracts (mint or otherwise) taste too artificial !
So I tried to use fresh mint to get the flavour here. You can infuse the milk that goes into the pudding with freshly torn mint leaves – this is done by just letting freshly torn mint leaves steep in warm milk for a while. I went the extra mile by rubbing the mint leaves with sugar and then mixing this into warm milk to let it rest. If this sounds like too much work , just go with the extract or even skip the mint to make a delicious pure chocolate pudding
Remember that cocoa is a dominant flavour and the mint is like the supporting cast to the star of the show . The mint is there but yet not in your face. Just a slight hint of it on your taste buds.
Mint chocolate pudding
Ingredients
- 500 ml or about 2 cups milk
- 100 grams or 1/2 cup granulated sugar see notes
- 30 – 40 grams or 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 30 grams or 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons corn flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla optional
Instructions
- Clean the mint leaves well and rub with the sugar for about 5 minutes.
- Mix this mint- sugar into the milk in a saucepan.
- Heat while stirring occasionally until milk is warm and all the sugar is melted
- Take off heat just before it boils, cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Strain this milk to remove the leaves .
- To the strained milk , sift in the cocoa , corn flour and salt.
- Heat on medium , while stirring often until the mixture comes to a boil
- Lower heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes while stirring continuously until mixture thickens. Make sure that you scrape the sides and bottom of pan often while heating to avoid lumps.
- Take off heat , stir in the butter and vanilla ( optional)
- Strain or pour into individual bowls or a single dessert dish that holds about 2 cups
- Serve warm or refrigerate until cold. If you don't like the thick layer that forms on custards , cover the top with cling film (touching the pudding surface ).
Notes
This mint chocolate pudding is rich, decadent and velvety – it can be had warm or cold , and I would really put that down to the weather and personal preference. I like almost all my desserts and drinks cold , and this pudding is no exception.
If you are looking for more individual desserts perfect for Christmas or winter in general , check out :