Guinness Chocolate Pudding

There's nothing like a nice tall glass of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day. A nice tall glass of Guinness chocolate pudding that is! This delicious treat is made up of a dark and decadent chocolate pudding made with the Irish stout, topped with a "head" of softly whipped Guinness flavored cream. I've made Guinness flavored desserts in the past, but for the most part I've found that the flavor of the stout doesn't really shine through. That's not to say its super strong in this dessert either, but the dark chocolate and Guinness combination brings the stout flavor to the front a little more, as does adding Guinness that's been reduced to a thick syrup to the whipped cream topping. It's just the perfect amount of flavoring. Not so strong that it turns off those that are not a fan of stout, but a big enough presence that those who love stout will be able to appreciate it.
I came about this recipe last night while trolling the internet looking for a good last-minute Irish themed dessert. I haven't had much of a chance to make desserts lately, and I was feeling a little bummed about not having made something that would help get me into the St. Patrick's Day spirit. As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. I loved the idea of a dessert mimicking a glass of Guinness; an image that just screams Ireland to me.
The original recipe used 8-oz highball glasses to layer the pudding and whipped cream, creating miniature versions of a classic glass of Guinness. I wanted to recreate that look, but do not own any glasses that are similar to that. Lucky for me however, I am apparently living as if I was a college frat boy, and the only water glasses I own are Guinness pint glasses. Of course consuming a pint of pudding is never a smart decision, and I don't really recommend that as a serving size, but I had to make at least one that way for the effect alone. For the remaining pudding I used small jam jars, which are a perfectly adorable alternative.

I absolutely loved how these turned out, both in looks and taste. Pudding is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and this is a great riff on the classic chocolate flavor. It's deep and intense; the wonderful counterpart to the sweetly whipped cream. It's the perfect Irish treat for any St. Patrick's Day meal, and I can hardly wait to go home and enjoy my cold glass of Guinness dessert after dinner tonight.

Oh, and these should serve as a public service announcement that small kitties like whipped cream too. So be careful where you leave yours laying around.

Guinness Chocolate Pudding
Adapted from Epicurious.com

8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
One 14.9-ounce can Guinness Draught
3 cups heavy cream or whole milk
7 ounces high-quality bittersweet (70 to 72% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar

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

Open can of Guinness and slowly pour into a measuring cup, pouring down side of cup to reduce foaming. Pour half of Guinness (about 1 cup) into heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Add 2 1/4 cups cream or milk, 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 may look slightly separated).

Divide pudding among glasses or bowls, 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 2 tbsp sugar, and beat until combined.

Divide cream among 6 glasses of pudding and serve.