The recipe is a luscious chocolate dessert with Amaretti cookies that is a wonderful ending to the perfect Italian meal.  The recipe is a favorite with our family and we sometimes teach it at our cooking school in Italy.  It is a satisfying dessert that will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

 

Chocolate and Amaretti Custard

(From Every Night Italian by Giuliano Hazan)

8 servings

4 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 ounces dry Amaretticookies (10 pairs [20 cookies]of the Lazzaronibrand)

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1. Put the milk in a sauce pan over medium heat.When the milk begins to steam when stirred, but before it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat.
2. While the milk is heating, whip the egg yolks and the sugar until they form pale yellow ribbons.Add the flour and mix it in until it is completely incorporated into the mixture.  Transfer the milk to a pitcher and pour it into the mixing bowl very slowly while running the mixer at a low speed.  After about one third of the milk has been poured in, and you can feel the mixing bowl begin to warm up, you can pour the rest of the milk in at a faster rate. When all the milk has been mixed in, pour the mixture back into the sauce pan and place it over medium low heat. Cook and stir with a whisk until the custard thickens, about 10 minutes, then remove it from the heat.
3. Put the Amaretticookies in a food processor and chop finely. Cut the chocolate into coarse shavings and add it to the Amarettiin the food processor.  Pulse the processor a few more times until the chocolate is uniformly chopped in small pieces.
4. Transfer the hot custard from the sauce pan to a mixing bowl and stir in the chocolate Amarettimixture. The chocolate should melt and you should get a fairly smooth consistency.  Pour the custard into individual goblets or dessert cups.  Once they have cooled down to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours before serving.