Dreamy Dark Chocolate Pudding

Valentine’s Day in New York City can be a stressful stressful thing. Restaurants must be booked weeks in advance, gifts must be purchased, flowers must be delivered … for a non-planner like myself, it can be completely overwhelming.

This year, I blanked completely and have done nothing so far. (But don’t worry guys, I did remember to get the perfect card.) I panicked for a second, and then remembered that a) I can always make dinner and b) Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday anyway, so who cares?

Cooking for your Valentine can be a fun way to avoid long wait times, snooty waiters, and (in my case a major plus) a $300 dinner bill. There’s no need to be overly elaborate — a simple roast chicken or perfectly cooked steak are easy showstoppers that happen to pair wonderfully with wine. One or two easy sides, dessert and a few candles are all the extras you need for a romantic, intimate meal to celebrate your boo.

And for dessert, what better than this creamy, dreamy dark chocolate pudding? It’s rich and luxe, but won’t weigh you down or leave you in a food coma. It’s also easy to make (4 steps, one of which is “chill!”) and make-ahead, which means you can tackle it in the morning and then fret over calmly plan out the rest of dinner with ease.

And you will be calm, especially if you make this dream Valentine’s day dinner — it’s foolproof, mostly make-ahead and guaranteed to leave your sweetie impressed:

To snack: Fig-Olive Jam (with Manchego and olive oil crackers)
To start: Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Crisps (an oldie, but a so so goodie)
Your main: Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs OR Braised Lamb Shoulder OR Cast-Iron Steak
On the side: Smashed Potatoes AND Creamed Spinach

And to finish: this delicious pudding, topped with a thick swirl of whipped cream.

Dark Chocolate Pudding

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1–1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces fine-quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cook Mode

Instructions

1. In a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, for 2 minutes (it will be thick).
3. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
4. Transfer the pudding to one large or 4 mini bowls and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. (You can skip this step if you don’t mind pudding skin.) Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4