From the kitchen of the #1 rated new restaurant in America (and its Chef Nicole Krasinski) comes this delightful cocoa custard with birdseed crunch. State Bird Provisions in San Francisco reigned supreme on Bon Appetit‘s Top 10 countdown, so of course I had to try it out for myself! Pictured above is an amazing double chocolate pudding I had there, and while this recipe isn’t quite the same – Chef Nicole agreed it was close enough! Enjoy!
Directions: Cocoa Custard
Preheat the oven to 250 F. In a medium sized heavy bottom pot combine the butter, sugars, cocoa powder & cream. Stir constantly with a whisk over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges and all the ingredients are dissolved. Immediately remove it from the heat.
Place the eggs in a bowl & whisk in ½ cup of the hot cocoa, whisk the egg/cocoa mixture back into the pot and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a high sided ovenproof baking pan, like a bread pan or a sauté pan, the custard should be at least ¼ inch deep, if the pan is too big the custard will overbake.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 6min, rotate the pan 180 degrees & keep checking every few minutes until the custard is just set, the center can jiggle a little. Strain the custard into a metal bowl. Place over another bowl filled with ice and immersion blend or whisk for 30seconds.
Keep the custard on the ice until it is completely cooled then transfer to an airtight container & keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Will keep for 4 days.
To serve: Place a spoonful of the custard in a small bowl & top with crunch.
Directions: Chocolate Birdseed Crunch
Process the toasted sunflower seeds & walnuts in a food processor until they look like a butter, ie almond butter. Melt chocolates with nut paste over a water bath. Add & feuilettine, pour into a parchment lined ¼ sheet pan, freeze, break into shapes, keep frozen until ready to serve.
Ingredients
Cocoa Custard
- 3 ounces unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 whole eggs
Chocolate Birdseed Crunch
- 114g Milk Chocolate
- 86g 72% Chocolate
- 80g Sunflower Seeds, toasted lightly
- 30g Walnuts, toasted lightly
- 1½ c Feuilettine (sub rice crispies)