Chocolate and Amaretto Custard

CUSTARD CREMA AL CIOCCOLATO CON AMARETTI

This is that elusive treat: a recipe you can whip up at the last minute without making a trip to the store for supplies. That it is made from cupboard ingredients and is so simple to prepare shouldn’t, however, take away from how good it tastes. It is chocolatey, much as you would expect, but also beautifully light and airy.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons / 25g all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup / 60g unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup / 90g granulated sugar

• A generous pinch of salt

• 2 cups / 500ml whole milk

• 15 / 80g crisp amaretti cookies

A Table in Venice by Skye McAlpine

Directions

I’ve layered the custard with a few roughly broken amaretti cookies, and the crisp hint of sweet almond is particularly good with the smooth, dark chocolate. You could also serve the custard plain, unadulterated in its chocolatey-ness, or with a crumbling of anything from shortbread to gingersnaps on top.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Pour in the milk and stir with a wooden spoon. Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring continuously until the custard begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes; it will thicken a little as it cools. Crumble half the amaretti cookies into 4 small cups, bowls, or ramekins (I like to use teacups), distributing the crumbles equally among the cups. Spoon the thick chocolate cream over the crumbles. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold, 20 to 30 minutes. Before serving, crumble the remaining amaretti over the top of each serving.

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