Deep Chocolate Scooters Food

DEEP CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Place sugar in a large bowl. Sift over it the cornstarch, cocoa and salt. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir the mixture to make a thick paste. Lightly beat the egg yolks, then add these to the cornstarch mixture, whisking to blend well. Wrap a damp towel around the base of the bowl to prevent it from sliding around when the scalded milk is added.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, combine the remaining 2 cups milk and the cream. Bring these just to the boil, then remove the pot from the heat. Pour a small amount of the hot liquid into the cornstarch-cocoa mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk the milk-cream mixture into the bowl gradually, until all of the liquid has been incorporated, and the mixture is smooth. Rinse out the pot used to scald the milk and the cream, but don't dry it: this will help prevent the pudding from scorching on the bottom. Pour the custard into the clean pot and add the vanilla.
• Have ready a clean mesh sieve over a medium sized bowl. Return the pot to the stove and stir with a wooden spoon over low to medium-low heat until the custard thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes. It should approach but never quite reach, a boil and be about the consistency of mayonnaise when it's done. This custard behaves strangely, you may fear something has gone terribly wrong, but press on! It will get increasingly lumpy to the point where, just as it reaches the right thickness, it will seem downright chunky: never mind! Quickly remove the pot from the element and pour through the sieve into the clean bowl, pressing the custard through with a rubber spatula.
• Add the finely chopped or grated chocolate in 2 additions, stirring gently with a clean wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted smoothly into the pudding. Spoon the pudding into 6 to 8 serving dishes or goblets and chill at least 6 hours or overnight. If you like the pudding with no skin on the top, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the warm pudding in the serving dishes. If a skin on your chocolate pudding makes you happily nostalgic, wait until the puddings are cold before covering. The pudding can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
• Serve just as it is, or with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream for a truly decadent dessert.

SCOOTER BARS

Steps:

• Crust:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In the bowl of a food processor, add the flours, sugar and salt and pulse to combine. Drop in the cold butter and pulse until a coarse crumb texture forms. Add the vanilla and honey. Continue pulsing until the dough just comes together.
• Press the dough into a 4 by 14-inch fluted tart pan or a 9-inch pie plate. Cover the crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil and weigh it down with either rice or pastry weights. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. If the crust is still pale in color, remove the parchment paper and pie weights and bake until lightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Let the pastry cool completely.
• Filling:
• Melt the marshmallows in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat when the marshmallows are thoroughly melted and smooth.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, pour in the melted marshmallows and whip until the ingredients are completely combined, smooth and slightly cooled. Spread the filling into the cooled crust. Refrigerate until the filling is completely set, about 30 minutes.
• Glaze:
• Heat the cream in a small pot over medium heat until hot. In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate with the butter. Pour in the hot cream and mix to melt the chocolate and incorporate the ingredients completely. Pour the glaze over the top of the marshmallow filling and spread it in an even layer so the filling is entirely covered. Return it to the refrigerator until the glaze sets up. Slice and serve.

DEEP, DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Arrange a shelf in the lower third of the oven, place a baking stone on it, and preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
• Spray VERY GENEROUSLY a 13 x 9 x 2-inch (33 x 23 x 5-cm) rectangular pan or two 9 x 2-inch (23 x 5-cm) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the round pans with parchment and spray on top of the parchment. With the rectangular pan, line and extend up the long sides with a piece of Release foil or parchment sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar, salt, cocoa, and baking soda. In another saucepan, bring 1 cup (237 ml) water to a boil. Stirring constantly, pour boiling water a little at a time into the cocoa mixture. It will bubble up at first and then get dark and thicken. Stir the cocoa mixture briskly. Place on the heat and bring back to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to stand in the hot saucepan for at least 10 minutes.
• Pour the hot cocoa mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the oil and vanilla and beat on low speed for about 10 seconds. On low speed, beat the flour into the batter and then, with a minimum of beating, beat in the egg yolks, whole eggs, and buttermilk. This is a thin batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Place in the oven on the stone and bake until the center feels springy to the touch, about 25 minutes for round layers or 35 minutes for the sheet cake. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes on a rack. Run a thin knife around the edge and jar the edge of the pan to loosen. Invert onto the serving platter. Cool completely before icing.