Yesterday, I had some tofu haters over for dinner. For me, it’s hard to believe that people hate tofu. As a vegetarian, it’s a staple part of my diet, and I love that it’s so versatile. I was determined to convert these tofu hating folks, and I figured, what better better way to do that than with chocolate and peanut butter?
Have you ever made chocolate pudding from scratch? I hadn’t either, until I made this one.
I’ve always thought that chocolate pudding came in those pre-packaged plastic containers and belonged in school lunches. However, this chocolate pudding is for grownups, and it uses dark chocolate cocoa powder and chopped bittersweet chocolate. It’s incredibly rich, so a small amount will satisfy a big chocolate craving.
As a kid, I never much cared for vanilla ice cream. I always found it to be kind of plain and boring, and would opt for the more adventurous options with lots of mix-ins. That’s because I had never had the good stuff. The real stuff. The home made stuff. Since I invested in my own ice cream maker a few years ago, I rarely buy ice cream at the store anymore. This week in my local grocery delivery, I got some fresh eggs, cream, and milk. The ingredients were practically begging me to make ice cream.
Ice creams fall into two main categories: French style or Philadelphia style. Philadelphia style ice cream is easier and quicker to make, and uses heavy cream as a base. French style ice creams are custard based, and contain cooked egg yolks. They are a little bit more labor intensive and require more cooking prowess. An instant read thermometer helps in the process of making custard based ice creams.
I’ve made both types, but with the vanilla, the custard based ice cream really is worth the extra effort. It’s so creamy and delicious, I could eat it by the bowlful. It also tastes great with some chocolate syrup, sandwiched between some chocolate chip cookies, or served atop a warm brownie. In fact, there aren’t too many desserts that aren’t enhanced by a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
