Dessert of the Moment: “Chocolate Guinness Goodness”

If you’re looking for a dessert recipe for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, here’s one that I found while Googling for recipes that make use of one of my favourite beers, Guinness.

Developed by Shane Philip Coffey, chef at Alias in New York’s Lower East Side, it got its start when he asked himself “What if you combined a dark chocolate pudding and Guinness, topped it with whipped cream lightly flavored with Guinness, and then put it in a glass to make it look just like a pint of the black?”

The end result: Chocolate Guinness Goodness. You can read the recipe at Epicurious or below.

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Ingredients

Required:

• 8 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• One 14.9-ounce can Guinness Draught (or, if there’s an Irish pub handy, a pint of Guinness from the tap)
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 7 ounces high-quality bittersweet (70 to 72% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped (Chef Coffey says “Make the effort to find a good dark chocolate…the better the chocolate, the creamier the dessert.”)

Recommended

• 6 8-ounce “old-fashioned” glasses

Instructions

In large nonreactive mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.

Open can of Guinness and slowly pour into 4-cup measuring cup, pouring down side of cup to reduce foaming. Pour half of Guinness (about 7/8 cup) into heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Add 2 1/4 cups cream and whisk to combine. Set over medium heat and heat, whisking occasionally, until bubbles just begin to form at edges. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and whisk until smooth.

Slowly pour hot chocolate mixture into eggs, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return mixture to saucepan and set over moderately low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon, about 15 minutes. (Pudding will look separated.) Pour into blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Divide pudding among glasses, leaving at least 1 inch of space at top of each. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set.

Meanwhile, pour remaining Guinness into small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 20 minutes. Pour syrup into small bowl and let cool.

Beat remaining cream until soft peaks form. Add Guinness syrup and beat until combined. Divide cream among 6 glasses of pudding and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

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I’m going to have to try making this recipe!