Every summer I get really into cooking and having dinner parties on my deck. For one, the restaurants are busy and crowded, so going out is more of a hassle. Two, I planted herbs all over my deck so it feels like a little garden oasis out there. And three, there is just so much access to fresh ingredients that it is hard not to want to take advantage of that and cook.
So, needless to say, I am on a cooking streak right now. Over the holiday weekend I made lobster rolls (delicious), a spicy corn relish, a mint and freshly-shelled pea salad, some really good pasta salad, boozy watermelon popsicles, homemade pesto and more.
A while back I made a pink lemonade margarita for a party, but thought it was too sweet to share the recipe. There have been many other dinners and dishes, but the one I am choosing to share stands out. Not only does this chocolate pudding parfait taste incredible, it looks impressive, too.
There is nothing particularly difficult about making this dish, but it does take a few steps. This is something you can do ahead, and in fact should, and it is easy enough to use to impress guests at your next dinner party. I promise, everyone will leave happy. 
What is nice about this dessert is that it is served cold, so you can enjoy it no matter how hot it gets outside. Because you present it and serve it in a Mason jar, it is portable and cleanup is simple. And the layering makes it look rather fancy.
This recipe makes enough for about six small jars. It is very rich, so I couldn’t finish my whole jar, but my husband took it down and ate the rest of mine too.
While it looks pretty, anyone can make this dessert. The only slightly difficult part is making sure that you temper the egg custard carefully, but slowly adding and whisking in the hot milk. If you cook it too long, it may get a little thick, and if you undercook it, it could be slightly runny but neither of those things will ruin the dish.
Hope your guests like it as much as mine did. It is not often that I like to repeat dishes, but this one is a winner and I will for sure do it again.
Double Chocolate Pudding Parfaits
Ingredients
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup baking sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Topping:
- 1 pint whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Crust:
- 1 cup Nabisco chocolate wafers, crumbled
Instructions
- Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan, then turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile combine sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a separate bowl then whisk the sugar mixture into the eggs and combine well. Slowly whisk in the warm milk a bit a time to temper it. Return the mixture to saucepan and cook on medium heat until the mixture comes to a slow boil and starts to thicken (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla until the chips are melted and smooth. Chill the pudding for about an hour, or until cool before you try to make the parfait.
- Meanwhile whip the cream until it has stiffened. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat again until combined and the whipped cream is as thick as you like it.
- To assemble the parfait:
- Using a small jar or similar type clear glass, start by adding a layer (1/2 inch think) of the cookie crumbs mixture at the bottom of the glass. Follow with a layer of the whipped cream mixture, and a generous amount of the pudding. Top with another spoonful or two of the cookie mixture and a final layer of the whipped cream. Garnish with leftover cookie crumb mixture or chocolate shavings.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. This should be made the morning before you want to serve it, but can keep for a day if necessary.
