Jennifer Millar's Chocolate Budini

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 pint coffee ice cream or 1 pint vanilla ice cream

Recipe

• 1 position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 375°f.
• 2 melt the chocolate and butter with 6 tablespoons of sugar and the salt in a medium stainless-steel bowl placed in a skillet of hot, not simmering, water, stirring frequently.
• 3 remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• 4 whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla.
• 5 in a medium bowl combine egg whites and cream of tartar.
• 6 using a hand-held electric mixer on high speed, beat until soft peaks form.
• 7 add the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar gradually, beating constantly, until the whites are stiff and glossy.
• 8 fold 1/4 of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it.
• 9 scrape the chocolate mixture into the bowl of whites and fold just until combined.
• 10 divide the batter evenly among 6 12- to 16-ounce (or so) oven-proof serving dishes (the batter won't fill the bowl but will leave enough room for ice cream, sauce and almonds).
• 11 place the bowls on a large baking sheet.
• 12 (the budini can be prepared up to 2 days ahead to this point, loosely covered and refrigerated.) bake until the budini are puffed with crusty, deeply cracked tops and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out quite gooey, 20 to 25 minutes.
• 13 (the budini can be completely baked up to a day ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. to reheat, bake in a hot, 375°f oven until puffed, about 10 minutes.) serve within 10 minutes (the puddings will sink as they cool), topping each serving with a scoop of ice cream.