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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2022)
RECIPE Page 10 n THE ASIAN REPORTER March 7, 2022 TAHINI TWIST. Tahini has a nutty, buttery flavor that both complements and offsets chocolate and balances its sweetness. Whisking in a couple tablespoons of butter and tahini to this Creamy Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Sesame Topping recipe gives the pudding a lustrous sheen and nutty sesame notes. (Milk Street via AP) Mideast twist jazzes up chocolate dessert By Christopher Kimball Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street C hocolates can sometimes be an easy, last-minute homemade dessert. This pudding, with a sophisticated twist from the Middle East, only takes 25 minutes to make. Cooks in the Middle East frequently pair sweet ingredients with contrasting flavors, often something savory or bitter to add interest to what otherwise would be a one-note sweet dessert. Nuts and seeds are common choices, and we were drawn to their common use of the sesame seed paste tahini. In the U.S., tahini most often is used in hummus, but its nutty, buttery flavor both complements and offsets chocolate and balances its sweetness. We applied that lesson in this stovetop preparation in our book Milk Street Tuesday Nights, which limits recipes to 45 minutes or less. For a creamy, luxurious texture, we use half-and-half as the base, enrich it with egg yolks, and thicken it with cornstarch. We found the most complex chocolate flavor uses a combination of Dutch-processed cocoa and semisweet chocolate. Whisking in a couple tablespoons each of butter and tahini at the end gives the pudding a lustrous sheen and nutty sesame notes. An easy whipped cream laced with more tahini balances the sweetness in the pudding. Be sure to stir the tahini well. The oil in tahini separates and must be mixed in before use, or the topping will have an unappealing consistency. Editor’s note: To view additional recipes, visit <177milkstreet.com/ap>. Creamy Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Sesame Topping Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 4 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar, divided 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa 5 teaspoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups half-and-half, divided 2 large egg yolks 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons tahini, plus more to serve Cocoa nibs or toasted black or white sesame seeds, to serve In a medium saucepan, whisk the 1/4 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt, breaking up any large clumps of cocoa; it’s fine if some small lumps remain. Add 1/4 cup of half-and-half and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the yolks. Gradually whisk in the remaining half-and-half. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat while whisking continuously. Once it reaches a simmer, cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly; the pudding will be thick and glossy. Off heat, whisk in the chocolate until smooth, then whisk in the butter and 2 tablespoons tahini. Set a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Scrape the pudding into the strainer and push it through with a silicone spatula; scrape the bottom of the strainer to collect all of the pudding. Divide the pudding evenly among 4 serving dishes and set aside until barely warm, about 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the cream, 2 teaspoons tahini, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Beat until it holds stiff peaks. Dollop the whipped cream onto the puddings. Drizzle each with additional tahini and sprinkle with cocoa nibs or sesame seeds. The Asian Reporter is published on the first Monday each month. News page advertising deadlines for our next three issues are: April 4, 2022 edition: Space reservations due: Wednesday, March 30 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thursday, March 31 at 1:00pm May 2, 2022 edition: Space reservations due: Wednesday, April 27 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thursday, April 28 at 1:00pm June 6, 2022 edition: Space reservations due: Wednesday, June 1 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thursday, June 2 at 1:00pm Think you’re an organ and tissue donor? Not if you haven’t told your family. Talk to your family about organ and tissue donation. Talk to your family about donating life. For a free donor card brochure, contact: Donate Life Northwest (503) 494-7888 1-800-452-1369 www.donatelifenw.org