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Culinary accidents can often lead to creative invention. Truth be told, I was trying to make white chocolate truffles but didn't take into account that you need a ratio of around one third double cream to the quantity of white chocolate. I mistakenly added the same quantity of double cream as white chocolate. Oops.
But instead of creating white chocolate truffles, I inadvertently made a gooey and decadent chocolate pudding.
Now, if you are on a calorie counting diet, avert your gaze now. I haven't worked out the calorie count in each pudding but I know it's extreme! This isn't your everyday pudding, but is a great option when entertaining guests and you want to push the boat out.
It turns out that equal quantities of white chocolate to double cream creates a caramel-like textured emulsion. I was aiming to make Christmas spiced white chocolate truffles so amended my idea for this chocolate pot recipe instead.
The ingredients I used were those I had in my kitchen cupboards. I needed to use up the remainder of my Stewart & Arnold white chocolate buttons, a leftover bag of dried fruit with mixed peel that I used in a Christmas cake recipe, and I have been feeding the cake with Amaretto so had a half-used bottle of that lying around too.
The result is extremely decadent. It's incredibly dense and rich, and tastes unashamedly indulgent. I was heavy handed on the festive spices but that works in its favour, adding a Christmas cake flavour to the pudding. The Amaretto soaked fruit enhances the merriment in this dessert, with the chewy fruit adding a pleasant textural component.
I think it needs something else to round off the sweet aftertaste. I tried sprinkling ginger biscuit crumbs on top and while this made it feel even more festive, it didn't solve the issue. If you've got any suggestions on how to balanced the flavour leading into the aftertaste, drop them in the comments below.
Christmas Spiced White Chocolate Pot Recipe
There was no inspiration for this recipe here - it was all about picking up the pieces of a failed culinary attempt. It was a happy accident and is certainly something I'll be cooking up again as it's delicious (if fattening).
Christmas Spiced White Chocolate Pot Recipe
A thick and gooey spiced white chocolate pudding, with Amaretto soaked dried fruit
Makes approximately 6
Amaretto Fruit Ingredients
- 60g dried mixed fruit with mixed peel
- 40g glacé cherries
- A glug of Amaretto (around 50-100ml)
White Chocolate Pot Ingredients
- 300g white chocolate
- 300ml double cream
- 1tsp mixed spice
- ½tsp nutmeg
- ½tsp cinnamon
- ¼tsp ground ginger
- ¼tsp cloves
Christmas Spiced White Chocolate Pot Method
Step 1 / Soak Fruit
Pop the dried fruit into a pan and cover with Amaretto. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. Burn off the alcohol if desired. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly while you get on with the next step.
Step 2 / Boil Cream
Add the spices to the cream (scatter rather than dump them in to avoid clumping) and then bring the cream to the boil. Take off the heat.
Step 3 / Add Chocolate
Tip in the white chocolate into the cream and stir until melted. Add in the dried fruit with its residual liquid. Stir until fully mixed.
Step 4 / Portion Out
Divide the mixture between 6 serving bowls (or repurposed Gü Pud glasses). Pop in the fridge for a few hours to firm up. Then, enjoy a taste of Christmas!
Any white chocolate should work well in this recipe, although opt for one with a high cocoa butter content if you can. I used Stewart & Arnold's British White Chocolate in this recipe, which is available from Keylink here.
If you try this recipe at home, please let me know how you get on in the comments below.
