Jennifer Millar's Chocolate Budini

I've made this delicious budini several times and everyone wants the recipe. It comes from The Baker's Dozen Cookbook. The original recipe calls for a caramel sauce as well, but we like it just with ice cream, especially Mean Chef's Coffee Ice cream. The wonderful thing about is that everything can be done 2 days in advance.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6  ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 12  tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  pinch fine sea salt
• 3  large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1  pint coffee ice cream or 1  pint vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 375°F.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter with 6 tablespoons of sugar and the salt in a medium stainless-steel bowl placed in a skillet of hot, not simmering, water, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
4. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla.
5. In a medium bowl combine egg whites and cream of tartar.
6. Using a hand-held electric mixer on high speed, beat until soft peaks form.
7. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar gradually, beating constantly, until the whites are stiff and glossy.
8. Fold 1/4 of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it.
9. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the bowl of whites and fold just until combined.
10. Divide the batter evenly among 6 12- to 16-ounce (or so) oven-proof serving dishes (the batter won't fill the bowl but will leave enough room for ice cream, sauce and almonds).
11. Place the bowls on a large baking sheet.
12. (The budini can be prepared up to 2 days ahead to this point, loosely covered and refrigerated.) Bake until the budini are puffed with crusty, deeply cracked tops and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out quite gooey, 20 to 25 minutes.
13. (The budini can be completely baked up to a day ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. To reheat, bake in a hot, 375°F oven until puffed, about 10 minutes.) Serve within 10 minutes (the puddings will sink as they cool), topping each serving with a scoop of ice cream.