Black and White Cloud Pudding

It's been an interesting month.  I wrote about my experiences as a "black cloud" and what that means as a resident here on Kevin MD.  In honor of my first post to KevinMD, an awesome medical blog with significant collaboration from health professionals all over the country, and my new black cloud status, I made a dark chocolate and whipped cream pudding parfait.


The dense, rich chocolate pudding is layered with a fluffy white cloud of homemade whipped cream.  Are you a black or a white cloud?

Dark Chocolate Pudding and Whipped Cream Parfait
(pudding recipe adopted from Bon Appetit)

For the pudding:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups milk divided
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 oz very dark chocolate (such as 88% cocoa) finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Whisk sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and sal tot a blend in a heavy medium saucepan.  Gradually add 1/3 cup milk, whisking until smooth paste.  Whisk in remaining milk and cream.  Using wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, stir mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping bottom and sides of pain until pudding thickens and begins to bubble at edges, about 5 minutes.  Add chocolate; stir until mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

For whipped cream, in chilled bowl, whip ingredients until stiff peaks form.