Chocolate Date And Vanilla Pudding Recipes

CHOCOLATE-DATE PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Make the chai ice cream, if desired: Combine milk, tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into the mixture using the back of a knife, then add pod to mixture and bring to a boil. Cover and let steep at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Prepare an ice bath. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. While whisking, slowly add a little of the warm milk mixture into the yolk mixture to temper. Continue this process until all of the milk mixture has been added. Pour mixture back into pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. The custard should retain a line drawn across the back of the spoon with your finger. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl set in the ice bath; discard solids. Add cream and stir occasionally until cooled. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions until set but not hard. Transfer soft ice cream to a container and freeze at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder and flour, tapping out excess. In a large glass measuring cup or medium bowl, combine dates, hot water, coffee, and cocoa and let stand 10 minutes. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Using an immersion blender, puree the date mixture until smooth. Add baking soda and stir to combine.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and dark-brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat well to combine (batter will look curdled). Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the date mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the chocolate.
• Transfer the batter to prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Bring butter, dark-brown sugar, date syrup, salt, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in cream. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth.
• Transfer cake pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, and let cool 20 minutes (the cake should still be warm). Poke cake all over with a skewer or toothpick. Pour half of the glaze into the bottom of the pan and return cake to pan. Pour remaining glaze over top and allow to soak into cake, about 20 minutes. Invert cake onto plate or cake stand and serve warm or at room temperature with chai ice cream, if desired.

CHOCOLATE-DATE PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish with non-stick spray.
• Put the dates and water in a pot over medium-low heat. Cook and stir for 10 minutes until the dates are very soft. Transfer the softened dates to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla, puree again until well-blended. Scoop out the puree into a mixing bowl. Sift together the cocoa powder and flour and add to the date mixture. Fold using a rubber spatula; combine gently until well mixed.
• In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the date mixture.
• Pour the batter into the coated souffle dish, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes until the outside is just set. Cool to room temperature. Shake some confectioners' sugar on top and serve.

VEGAN DATE & CHOCOLATE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

Steps:

• Mix the cornflour, soya milk, cinnamon, lemon zest, vanilla and maple syrup together in a pan and whisk until smooth. Set over a low heat and cook, whisking continuously, for 8-10 mins until the mixture has thickened slightly to a thin custard that just coats the back of a spoon.
• Lightly oil roughly 20 x 25cm wide baking dish. Cut the crusts off the bread, if you like, and arrange in the dish, overlapping slightly. Stir most of the dates into the custard, then pour over the bread, pressing the bread into the mixture gently with the back of a spoon to help it absorb the liquid. Leave to soak for 15 mins.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Scatter the chocolate chips and remaining sliced dates over the bread pudding, and bake for 20-25 mins until golden and crisp at the edges. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving with a spoonful of vegan plain yogurt or dairy-free ice cream, if you like.

CHOCOLATE-AND-VANILLA PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-3-inch round springform pan with butter; line bottom with a parchment round and brush with butter. Dust parchment and sides of pan with cocoa, tapping out excess.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to thoroughly combine. Whisk in eggs, buttermilk, hot water, vanilla, and oil. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake until top springs back when lightly pressed, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 20 minutes. Unlatch and remove side of pan; invert cake onto rack, remove parchment, and let cool completely.
• For the Filling: In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Whisk in milk and egg yolks. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla, chocolate, and butter until melted and smooth. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool about 10 minutes.
• For Assembly: Meanwhile, trim top of cake flat with a serrated knife, then cut horizontally into two even layers. Wash and dry springform pan, return side of pan to latched position, and line bottom with a fresh parchment round. Transfer bottom cake layer, split side up, to prepared pan.
• Pour filling into pan, spreading to edges of cake in an even layer with an offset spatula. Transfer top layer of cake to pan (top side up), loosely cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• For the Frosting: Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over (but not in) a pan of simmering water. Heat, whisking, until mixture is hot to the touch and sugar has dissolved (it should feel smooth when rubbed between your fingers).
• Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and continue beating until stiff peaks form and mixture is glossy and cooled, 5 to 6 minutes more. Reduce speed to medium; beat in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat in white chocolate until thick and smooth (if frosting seems thin, it was too warm when butter and chocolate were added; refrigerate until cool and beat again before using).
• Unlatch and remove side of pan from chilled cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth any filling protruding from middle along side of cake. Line the edges of a cake plate or stand with strips of parchment.
• Transfer cake to plate or stand. Spoon frosting onto top of cake and spread evenly over top and sides with an offset spatula. Discard parchment strips and refrigerate cake until icing is set, at least 20 minutes or, loosely covered, up to 3 days. Slice and serve.

VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. If making chocolate pudding, add cocoa powder. Very gradually (a few tablespoons at a time) whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks.
• Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. Reduce heat to low; still whisking, cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding.
• Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding (to prevent skin from forming); chill at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Before serving, whisk pudding until smooth; divide among four serving dishes.