Saturday, July 21, 2012

Really Awesome (Really Easy) Dessert

I just made a modified version of this coconut chocolate pudding, and it was all that. I mean, I'd show you a photo but Scott and I inhaled it before we had a chance to, um, document it.

I had about 6 oz of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk, something I never keep in the house, but which I bought to try making whipped coconut milk (i.e. whipped cream without dairy). Didn't work so well for that - my can of coconut milk was quite emulsified and I couldn't subtract enough of the water liquid to make the solids entirely whip-able.

Interesting fact about me: I loathe coconut in savoury food. That slick greasiness creeps me out. And I feel its taste competes with everything else. I LOVE it, however, in dessert. Side note: while in the NC mountains, I had one of the best coconut cream pies I've ever tasted - and trust me I try every one I've come into contact with. If you find yourself in the area, definitely check out Eat Crow.

At any rate, I just adjusted the ratios of ingredients to suit the amount of coconut milk I had on hand, using slightly less than half (or half, in the case of the corn starch) of those other goodies.

Production took me 10 minutes, from start to finish, and 90 minutes cooling in the fridge, though I could happily have eaten it hot.

The texture of this pudding is perfect. Totally smooth and rich. It doesn't incline itself to lumps because there are no eggs - just corn starch - to thicken it. The coconut milk is so rich it obviates the need for eggs for either taste or mouth feel.

It's so elegant that, in a ramekin, with artfully placed berries and a drizzle of salted caramel (or whipped cream), it would make a lovely dinner party end-of-meal.

Note: I didn't add extra coconut (I didn't have any on hand, and besides Scott kind of hates it) and I could not taste any coconut flavour. It was entirely dark-chocolatey. So, unless you have an allergy to the stuff, you can happily make use of its slickening properties in this recipe, without worrying about feeling overwhelmed.

Have you ever made this or something similar? What do you think?

11 comments:

  1. Wow, this sounds delicious! I haven't used coconut milk in desserts before, but now I'm anxious to try this out! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Well, that just sounds $%&^# amazing!

    I actually love coconut in any form, but I'm totally sucked in by a 10 minute dessert :-D

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    1. I know! It's the best kind. Esp. when it seems like something that takes a long time!

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  3. I made a vegan whipped cream once made from macadamia nuts, oil and sugar. It's in the "Vegan with a Vengeance" cookbook. It doesn't have the texture of whipped cream but it's not runny and the taste is so awesome.

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    1. Hilarious name for a cookbook. I've never heard of it but I have to check it out. I am highly committed to dairy (and meat, come to think of it) so I am not as well versed in the alternative yummies as I could be. But who doesn't love macadamia nuts. I'd love to see how that works...

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  4. I only like coconut in savory food,rarly in sweet,only with lots of dark chocolate,but this sound good,I love the new chocolate coconut milk.

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    1. Interesting! Well this is super dark-chocolately, so you're going to love it! I've seen that coconut milk in the stores but haven't yet tried it..

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  5. Mmm this sounds yummy! I have intentions of making something similar:
    http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/16/chocolate-frosting-shots/
    Maybe when it warms up here though :)

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  6. I love coconut in all forms in just about anything, so I was a little saddened to hear that none of its flavor made itself present in the pudding. It does still sound delicious, though.

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    1. I love the taste of coconut, truly, so I was a bit disappointed that it didn't come through (though it made Scott happy). Next time, I think I might skip the chocolate or cocoa (or some combination) and just add a bit of dulce de leche. I wonder if this will increase the coconut flavour...

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