A sweet, thick pudding topped with fudgy chocolate ganache? Oh, yes. Yes, yes. Yes.
I ate this for a Friday-night dessert (while watching “Glee” with my friend!), and man, it made a good ‘movie snack’. I didn’t sweeten mine, because I actually like my dessests to be on the neutral side these days. I do understand this is not for everyone’s tastes. However, as I licked the remnants of cocoa-loaded sauce, I wondered how anyone could deem it “bitter”. To me it was super-sweet!
Anyway, you can throw in a bit of dextrose or rice malt syrup if you want a sweet treat. Whatever you choose, this is so delicious! Rich, but not deadening. Filling, but not bloating. Chocolatey, but not . . . well, I suppose it is rather chocolatey! Ah, no matter. If I have a pack of cocoa, it disappears in two weeks - chocolate is my thing. Not that I have dibs 😉
Kumara is rich in antioxidants (beta-carotene),Vitamins Bs and C, fibre, copper, manganese, and has anti-inflammatory/ blood-sugar-regulating properties. Cocoa adds feel-good chemicals and more antioxidants, psyllium provides more fibre, and coconut brings healthy fats.
You can eat this pudding hot or cold - I chose to chill mine due to the warm weather. However, with autumn (and winter!) creeping up on every passing day, I’m sure to recreate this dish soon enough - in all its comfortingly warm glory!
This recipe can be gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and vegan.
Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus optional refrigeration)
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 1/3 a large orange kumara, peeled and cubed
- 3/4-1 cup milk of choice, as needed
- 1 heaped Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon coconut butter
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husks
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dextrose/ rice malt syrup (I omitted)
- 1 Tablespoon butter or coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder, extra
- 2 Tablespoons milk of choice, extra
- 1 teaspoon dextrose/ rice malt syrup, extra (I omitted)
Method:
1. Boil, steam, or microwave the kumara until tender (mine took around 4 minutes in the microwave, covered, on high power). Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, place the milk, cocoa, coconut butter, psyllium, cinnamon, and dextrose (if using) in a blender. Drop in the kumara and blend until smooth, adding more milk as necessary. Pour into a bowl and either reheat in the microwave or chill in the freezer/ fridge.
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir very well to squash any lumps - if it looks to thick, stir in more milk. Drizzle over your chilled or heated pudding, and enjoy! 🙂