Hazelnut Milk Pudding

• portionen: Makes 6 glasses
• gesamtzeit: 2 hr, ideally overnight

Zutaten

FOR THE PUDDING

100g whole hazelnuts (skin on)

200g/ml half-and-half

500g/ml whole milk, plus about 100g/ml

30g granulated sugar

50g honey

70g cornstarch

FOR THE TOPPINGS

40g currants, soaked in 100g/ml boiling water

50g blanched roasted hazelnuts (roasting notes on page 20), roughly chopped

FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

100g dark chocolate

80g/ml heavy cream

30g ml whole milk

1 tsp hazelnut oil, if you like

Anweisungen

To make the milk puddings, you need a hazelnut infusion.

Preheat the oven to 400°F/375°F convection.

Roast the nuts for about 15-18 minutes until very dark but not burnt.

Smash them up a little, then add to the half-and-half and milk in a saucepan and set on a medium heat.

Mix in the sugar and honey and bring to the boil, then remove from the stove and set aside.

Allow to infuse for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. The first hour should be at room temperature, but after that transfer to the fridge.

Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl or measuring jug, making sure to drain the nuts completely to capture all the liquid. You can now discard the hazelnuts; it may seem harsh, but they have served their purpose and won't have any flavor left in them. In contrast, the milk they have left behind will be lovely and nutty.

Measure how much liquid you have (some will have been lost while infusing) and top up with fresh milk to make 700g/ml.

Put six nice glasses (or dessert bowls) on a tray, ready to be filled as soon as the pudding is cooked (it sets really quickly).

Mix about 100g/ml of the hazelnut infusion with the cornstarch in a small bowl. The cornstarch will go hard and seize up at first, but be persistent and stir until it forms a smooth paste, adding a little more of the cold hazelnut milk if needed.

Put the remaining infusion in a small pan and bring to the boil.

When the first bubbles appear, whisk in the cornstarch paste in a slow, steady stream and keep whisking until fully combined. The mixture will thicken and become gloopy.

Continue whisking until bubbles start to appear again (they will look like massive molten lava eruptions), then quickly remove from the heat and pour about 100g into each of the waiting glasses (or bowls).

Set the glasses in the fridge as soon as they have been filled, in order to cool the puddings quickly and achieve the best texture. They will take a minimum of 2 hours to set completely and can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

If you are making the chocolate sauce, now's the time. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl.

Put the cream and milk in a small pan, bring to the boil over a high heat, then pour over the chocolate and whisk until it has melted entirely. If you are adding the hazelnut oil, mix it in now.

I like to serve the puddings with warm chocolate sauce alongside to pour over them at the table before sprinkling with chopped hazelnuts and drained currants.

The hazelnuts add crunch, the currants add moisture and sharpness, and the chocolate sauce is pure indulgence.

Notizen

From: ‘Golden Sweet & Savory Baked Delights from the Ovens of London’s Honey & Co.’ by Itamar Srulovich & Sarit Packer