White Chocolate Pudding with Blackberry Curd

Blogger informs me that this is my 2000th post. Huh. It really doesn’t feel like I’ve had the blog *that* long, but there you go. I’ve paid for an online food photography class for myself, 6 months ago, and now I just need to find the time to actually take it. (Those of us with young children have had LESS time during confinement, not more!) And maybe spruce up the site a bit? Blogger is updating its posting interface this month; there are still a lot of bugs in it, and I’m wondering if I just need a new template. All this to say that sometimes I look at this blog and only see how far it is from what I would like it to be. But then again, most things in life are a work in progress.

So anyway, I want to share with you this recipe from the first Smitten Kitchen cookbook. It’s for white chocolate pudding with blackberry curd, and it is absolutely delicious! I would consider doubling the quantities below next time, as this gave me 8 quite small servings, but I think we would all have wanted more. Well, except maybe the Fox, who even though he likes white chocolate and blackberries, somehow decided that instead of actually tasting this, it would be more fun to mix it together to make a new color. Everyone who DID taste it loved it. The blackberry curd’s acidity is a great complement to the richness of the white chocolate here. Of course, I recommend you use quality white chocolate, and ideally not chocolate chips.

For the pudding
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. table salt
2 ¼ cups lactose-free whole milk
6 oz. white chocolate, chopped
½ tsp. vanilla

For the blackberry curd
½ cup fresh blackberries
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine, cut into small pieces

To make the pudding, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a heavy bottom saucepan. Whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a heatproof spatula (I used a wooden spoon) to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over low heat and stir constantly, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary, should lumps begin to form. After about 15 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl with a spout and pour into individual serving dishes (you can skip the straining step if you don’t mind a few lumps in the pudding). Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Meanwhile, purée berries in a food processor or blender until as smooth as possible. Press through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. You should have between 3 and 4 tablespoons of purée.

Whisk together the blackberry purée, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and egg in a heavy 1-quart saucepan. Stir in the butter, and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until the curd is thick enough to hold the marks of the whisk, and until the first bubble appears on the surface, about 4 to 5 minutes. Divide the curd among prepared cups, gently spreading it on pudding surfaces. Let chill for 1 hour before serving.