¡Chocolate Pudding, Olé!

A simple OMG will do.

I made Mexican Chocolate Pudding à la Mark Bittman last week when my Fairy Godson was coming for a visit. This has to be the best dessert I have ever made in less than 10 minutes. It may possibly be the best dessert I have ever made, period.

This "pudding" is actually a bit denser and richer than I think of pudding as being. Using good chocolate, tofu (yes, tofu!) and some serious blending, you'll end up with something so smooth and rich, you'll want to serve it in demitasse cups or thimbles. Believe it or not, with all my interest in food and eating, I'm not a huge chocolate lover. This dessert, however, has been my conversion.

Over the course of the weekend, I served it to four other people, too, and all of them were rolling their eyes in delight. This one is a winner!

I'm going to include the recipe as I can't seem to make the link to his video work. It is easy as pie to make and virtually foolproof. If you don't add the spritz of whipped cream as I did, it's also vegan. I was hesitant about adding the chili powder but I did and it truly lent a special depth to the dessert without adding much heat - there's a little tingle after each spoonful but, take it from a spice wimp, you'll be glad you added the chili powder.

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

By MARK BITTMAN
Published: May 15, 2009

Time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ chilling (this is no exaggeration - it's fast and easy!)

3/4 cup sugar
1 pound silken tofu (I cut mine into roughly 1" squares before blending)
8 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted (I used Valrhona 61%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste

Chocolate shavings (optional) (In the video, he made these by shaving the side of a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler. He made it look easier than I found it to be.)

1. In a small pot, combine sugar with 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

2. Put all ingredients except for chocolate shavings in a blender and purée until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down its sides if necessary. Divide among 4 to 6 ramekins and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate shavings before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings. (I recommend the 6 or even 8 servings - this stuff is rich!)

You're welcome.