Sweet tart raspberry sauce is the perfect partner

Every year, we have champagne left over from New Year’s Eve; each year Sydney and I create unique romantic desserts with the remaining champagne. This year, 2012, we were able to use the champagne in three separate recipes; Champagne Pudding was the first. The end result was enchanting and delightful. I had purchased these slated 2-ounce glasses that would be the perfect petite size.

I should have waited for the raspberry coulis to jellify; the layers would have turned out evenly

Champagne-Vanilla Pudding:

165 grams/1½ -cups heavy whipping cream

165 grams/ 1 1/2-cups crème frâiche

244 grams/1-cups whole milk

150 grams/1/2-cup sugar, reserving ¼ -cup sugar

64 grams/4 large egg yolks

24 grams/3 -Tablespoon cornstarch

10 grams/2-Teaspoons cognac

10 grams/ 2 teaspoons champagne

Salt

½ -teaspoon pure vanilla extract, plus a splash

1 vanilla bean, scraped for seeds

16 grams/1-Tablespoon butter, cold cut into cubes

Prepare your mise en place.

Mise en place

Bring to a boil the milk, heavy whipping cream, crème frâiche and vanilla pod in a large sauce pot, with 1/2 -cup of the sugar (to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot).

Whisk all the ingredients together and allow to come to a boil

   In a mixing bowl, add egg yolks, ¼ -cup of sugar and whisk together until the mixture is pale yellow in color and thickened.

Whisk until pale yellow, but do not allow the egg yolk mixture to foam

Add the cornstarch and whisk to combine.

Sift the cornstarch over the egg yolk mixture

The egg yolk mixture with cornstarch once it has been amalgamated.

The mixture is light yellow and thick, but we have not allowed too much air to be incorporated

When the milk-cream/crème mixture reaches a full simmer (tiny bubbles form on the inner outside of sauce pot), gradually whisk in ½ -cup of the simmering milk/cream mixture into the yolk mixture to temper, and slowly pour and whisk remaining hot cream.

Continually whisk as you add a thin stream of hot crème mixture, to temper the egg yolk mixture

 Return the egg mixture to the sauce pot, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until a few minutes (about 5 or so).  Bubbles should have burst on the surface and the mixture should be thickened and glossy.

Drag your finger down the middle of the back of a wooden spoon. If the line remains remove from heat

The pudding should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add a pinch of salt.

Sydney likes to test the wooden spoon once more

Pipe the first layer of the pudding into the glasses, then a layer of Raspberry coulis, and finally a last layer of champagne pudding. Any clear glass will give you a delicate layered look.

Voila!