Hot Cocoa & Strawberry Chocolate Pudding

Advertising people think quick, act quick. More and more food magazines feature special menus fighting against the economic crisis.

But food supposes to be the comfort zone ...

After slaving ourselves at office (or for kids, or any complicated inter-personal relationship), do we still have to put up with thinking about the crisis while chewing... Not me.

This pudding is served hot, I like that warmth enveloping the whole body. Instead of buying strawberries in big pack, I picked only a few from a vendor; I really can't eat that much, and of course, I can pay less.

Btw, when I worked in adverting, my companies either didn't eat, or they gulped.

The top pudding is made out of strawberry chocolate, it's a gift from my friend. A simple white chocolate surely is beautiful enough. Dip a strawberry in... warning, highly addictive!

Recipe of hot cocoa & strawberry chocolate pudding

(serving: 2 persons, or for 4 small champagne glasses)

• 500 ml whole/low-fat milk
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 + 2 tablespoons sugar (for low sugar)
• 30 g strawberry/ white chocolate, finely chopped
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 2 egg yolks
• a dash of vanilla essence

How-to:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the yolks and 2 tablespoons of sugar until it looks light and pale. Combine with cocoa and vanilla. Set aside.
2. In a pot bring the milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar and the corn starch to boil. Remember to whisk constantly. After it boils, lower to simmer for 8 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
3. Melt the strawberry/white chocolate over double-boiler (it's very sensitive to heat, and so doesn't take long). Combine it with 1/3 of milk mixture. Set aside.
4. Now we have 2/3 milk mixture. Pour some of it into cocoa/yolk mixture and whisk quickly (tempering), and return the yolk mixture back to the pot and well combine all the left-over milk mixture. Continue to simmer for another 1 minute.
5. Pour the hot cocoa pudding into serving glasses, top with the strawberry/white chocolate pudding (if the latter sets/cools off too early, just let it set over the double-boiler for a minute it will soften again). Garnish with chocolate shavings, strawberry and mint leaves.

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