Chocolate Hazelnut Budino Recipe
salted caramel, crumbled wafer
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Ingredients
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Budino (chocolate-hazelnut custard)
Salted caramel
Garnish - crumbled wafer & toasted hazelnuts
Method
Budino (chocolate-hazelnut custard)
- 1
Prep and temper
In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream. Warm over medium heat until it just begins to steam and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil). Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and cornstarch until pale and slightly thickened.
- 2
- 3
- 4
Cook until thickened
Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon (about 4–6 minutes). Do not let it boil vigorously — small gentle bubbles are OK.
- 5
Finish with chocolate and hazelnut
Remove the pan from heat. Immediately add the finely chopped dark chocolate, hazelnut spread, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt. Stir until the chocolate and butter are melted and the custard is completely smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- 6
Chill
Pour the budino into individual serving cups or ramekins (6 small or 4 larger portions). Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, until fully set.
Salted caramel
- 7
Make caramel
In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water and stir just to moisten. Cook over medium heat without stirring (you can gently swirl the pan occasionally) until the sugar melts and turns an amber color, about 6–8 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- 8
Finish caramel
When the sugar reaches a deep amber, remove the pan from heat and carefully add the cubed butter, whisking until melted. Slowly add the warm heavy cream while whisking (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until smooth, then whisk in the teaspoon of fine sea salt. Allow the caramel to cool to warm (not room temperature) before using. If it thickens too much, warm gently to loosen.
Garnish & assembly
- 9
Prepare wafers and hazelnuts
Crumble the wafer cookies into small pieces (reserve some larger shards for texture). If your hazelnuts are not toasted, place them on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 6–8 minutes until fragrant; roughly chop when cool.
- 10
Assemble budino
Remove the chilled budino from the refrigerator and peel off the plastic wrap. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of the warm salted caramel atop each custard (adjust to taste). Sprinkle crumbled wafer pieces and chopped toasted hazelnuts over the caramel. Finish with a light pinch of flaky sea salt on each serving to amplify flavor.
- 11
Serve
Serve chilled. Budino can be made up to 48 hours ahead (keep caramel separate until serving). If caramel is stored separately, rewarm slightly before spooning over the custard.
