National Chocolate Custard Day: No Bake Chocolate Custard

There is some debate on whether National Chocolate Custard Day is May 3 or May 5. Last year on May 5, also Cinco de Mayo, I posted a recipe for Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding, as well as links to Chocolate Sponge Custard, Triple-Chocolate Custard and Chocolate Custard Corn Pone. That Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding is awesome.

So today, I thought I'd post a different Chocolate Custard recipe in case today is the 'real' National Chocolate Custard Day. The following recipe is from Stuart Brioza and Nicole Karsinski and appeared in Food & Wine. It's served at Rubicon in San Francisco. You can make this at home. It's a No-Bake Chocolate Custard. Simple and fabulous!

No-Bake Chocolate Custard for Two

Ingredients
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus shaved chocolate, for serving (Amano or Green & Black)
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted European butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions
1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and heat until steaming and the sugar is dissolved. Put the egg yolk in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
2. Off the heat, add the chopped chocolate and salt and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter. Pour the custard into 2 shallow bowls and refrigerate briefly, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream with the cinnamon and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until softly whipped. Dollop the cream on the custards, sprinkle the chocolate shavings on the cream and serve.


Make Ahead
The chocolate custard can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight. Serve the custards chilled or at room temperature.

The whipped cream is optional. I like it 'straight-up.'

Photo: Amy Sims