the demise of Peter Piper.

It's been a tough week--hence the lack of updates--and the forecast for the next few weeks doesn't seem to promise much better. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a lack of significant cooking which saddens me greatly and leaves you with few recipes.

But, do not pity me. In times like these I manage to prevail and always find a solution in food. Or, I should say, I always find a solution in sweet food.

I rarely end an evening meal without having a little [or a big] something sweet. This is particularly the case when life's a gettin' me down.

I'm not talking fruit salad or balsamic strawberries here, kids. I'm talking real down 'n' dirty dessert. People seem to fear dessert, but I generally can't sleep if I haven't had any; without dessert, dinner just feels incomplete.

The go-to of choice is generally ice cream--it's in my genes--but it doesn't last long in my freezer, so I rarely actually have it available. Other times, I'll make bread or rice puddings, cookies, a crumble...all quick and easy things to whip together and cook while I am eating the main meal. Sometimes, if I'm on top of things or it's a weekend, I'll make something a bit more elaborate. Then, there are the times when I just sit down with a puzzle and eat chocolate chips out of the bag.

In Turkey, I learned early on that my oven was not made for baking. So, I didn't make as much while I was there. However, one of the best things about Turkey is that you can't walk a block without seeing one, if not two or three, patisseries--glowing counters filled with 15 types of oozy, drippy baklavas, sweet and salty cookies, sutlac [Turkish rice pudding], keskule [almond pudding], or cikolata puding [chocolate pudding].

Before going to Turkey, I was never much of a traditional pudding fan. I don't know why that is exactly...but now that I think about it, I suppose my only real experience with the stuff was in Jello box pudding or those pudding cups. Highly unsatisfying.

But, over the past year, I discovered that a nice, cold, chocolaty pudding can be one of the most delightfully refreshing desserts, especially after a long day working hard out in the sun. Additionally, I learned that it's so easy to make!


Today's Menu:

The Peppered Pudding that Peter Piper Poo-pooed for Pickled Peppers Subsequently Lost



Since Turkey, homemade chocolate pudding is often found on my List of Current Cravings and has become one of my new found comfort foods.

As I did some research on making pudding, I discovered that there are two forms: pudding made with eggs and pudding made without eggs. They are somewhat different in that pudding made with eggs is quite custardy and, in my opinion, richer than that made without eggs. I actually find it to be less satisfying, as a result. A custard has its place--don't get me wrong, I love creme brulee--but when I want pudding, I don't want custard.

Making pudding with eggs, though still insanely simple, requires a greater number of ingredients and a bit more time. Nonetheless, if you're a custard lover, that's the kind of pudding for you.

On the flip side, most puddings that are made without eggs call for the use of cornstarch as a thickening agent...

Uh-oh!

I try to avoid cornstarch and corn syrup as much as possible. So, when I first went to make my own pudding I spent a lot of time trying to find a recipe that didn't use the stuff. Let's just say this: I did a lot of looking.

But, every recipe I read insisted on cornstarch. I remembered that in Turkey they sometimes used gum mastic, but I'd have to go a ways away to get a bit. Some people did suggest arrowroot flour as a reasonable substitute, which I also couldn't get quickly, and there is always tapioca...but that's a different beast unto itself.

I was shocked, though, that no one included plain old flour in the mix. Sure, it doesn't have the thickening power of cornstarch [you have to use two times the amount], but it sure does thicken stuff...

As I kept looking around, I found that people did mention flour, but not in a good way: "It gets too gummy", they'd say.


In the end, after spending all that time looking around and researching and reading opinions and getting myself into a general tizzy over the whole thing, I looked at my watch and realized that it didn't matter anymore because I didn't have the time to do much about it.


So, since I didn't have eggs or cornstarch or tapioca or arrowroot flour, I decided to defy the statements of all the nay-sayers and use that plain old flour.

And guess what--it was good! In fact, it was great!

Maybe it's just because I was making a small amount, but I didn't find the pudding to be gummy at all. It set well and wasn't too rich.


Another great thing about pudding is that it's quite versatile--the flavor options are endless. In the month since first trying it, I've made this pudding at least three times in three different variations:

The first time I made it I went for classic chocolate pudding. The second time, it was mint chocolate pudding, which was utterly delicious. The third time, I wanted to spice it up a bit--it would go well with what I had planned for dinner--but I was tired of the classic "Mexican" spiced chocolate, with red pepper and cinnamon.

After thinking about it a bit, I decided to take a little risk and I created a peppered pudding: rich chocolate delicately laced with coarsely ground black pepper.

The result was phenomenal.

And so, I share my Peppered Pudding with you today.

I highly recommend you try the recipe sometime, even if you forgo this particular flavoring. The basic chocolate is very satisfying, and it is a great base for flavor experimentation. One note of caution: as I said, this pudding did not turn out tasting gummy, but I was making a very small batch of it--for two or three persons--and that may have had something to do with it. If you want to increase the recipe yield, consider using a different thickening agent. Or take the risk and let me know how it works out!




The Peppered Pudding that Peter Piper Poo-pooed for Pickled Peppers Subsequently Lost



[note: this recipe is adapted from one found at Smitten Kitchen. It thickens quite quickly, so be aware]




1/4 c flour
1/4 c sugar
a pinch of salt
1-1/2 c milk
3-oz semisweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tsp cocoa powder [optional]
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper


directions:

1. combine flour, sugar, and salt in a non-reactive bowl. place bowl on top of a pot of boiling water, but be sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
2. whisk in the milk and continue stirring the mixture until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
3. add the chocolate and cocoa powder. continue stirring until the pudding is thick and smooth.
4. remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the black pepper.
5. transfer to small bowls and put in the refrigerator to cool slowly or the freezer to cool quickly. let cool until set, at least 30 minutes.

if only Peter Piper had picked a peck of peppered pudding, no one would care about where those darned pickled peppers went!





Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.