What do you do when your dinner guests are slated to start Whole30 the following day? You go all out, that’s what. Call it a last supper, of sorts, with as much cream and carbs as we could possibly cram into a single meal. Ok, it really wasn’t that bad (we had salad too!) but between the pasta carbonara and this decadent dessert, it was pretty much a meal filled with everything that Whole30 isn’t.
With decadence being our primary objective, this budino, or Italian chocolate pudding, was just the dessert for the job.
What I love about budino is that, unlike a creme brulee or pot de creme, it is unbaked, which means you can serve it in just about any dish you please. You don’t have to worry about whether it is oven safe or not. Which means, break out the vintage tea cups and cute pinch bowls and glass jars and go crazy! You can also serve the pudding in one large serving bowl as well if you prefer, but, especially when entertaining, I love it when each guest has their very own individual portion (no sharing required).
This recipe is from Italian, My Way by Johnathan Waxman. I’ve had his budino before at Adele’s restaurant in Nashville (and absolutely LOVED it), and was excited to find the recipe in his book. Of course, I added bourbon which should come as no surprise to you. Waxman suggests grappa or grand marnier or even a bit of lemon zest, but I think bourbon or brandy are best suited for pairing with the bittersweet chocolate. Use whatever liqueur you please or leave it out entirely.
One change I’d make from the original recipe: Waxman has you cool the custard in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before mixing it into the melted chocolate (which has also cooled significantly at this point). I’m not sure the reasoning for this, but I honestly think the lukewarm custard would incorporate easier with the chocolate than cooled custard. So next time, I’d save myself 30 minutes and a good deal of hassle and skill the cooling step.
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