Vanilla and Chocolate Pudding (Emilia-Romagana)

Desserts

Ingredients

Sponge cake - 1/2 pound

Rum

Alkermes Liqueur

Grated bitter chocolates

Vanilla Custard:

Egg yolks - 5

Sugar - 5 tbsps

Vanilla powder or extract - pinch

Flour - 1 rounded tsp

Rind of 1 lemon

Milk, scalded - 2 1/4 cups

Butter - 1 tbsp

Chocolate Cream:

Eggs - 2

Sugar - 5 tbsps

Flour - 2 1/2 tbsps

Cocoa - 2 1/2 tbsps

Vanilla powder or extract - pinch

Milk, scalded - 2 cups

Butter - 1 tbsp

Vanilla Custard: Mix the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla and flour in the top of a double boiler. Add the strip of lemon rind and stir in the scalded milk gradually, beating well with  wooden spoon. Cook over water, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens. On no account let boil or it will curdle. When the custard is smooth and thick, stir in the butter. Remove from the heat, discard the lemon rind and pour into a jug. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent  skin from forming on the surface.

Chocolate cream: Cook carefully in the top of  double boiler, but somewhat longer to ensure that the flour is well cooked. Mix the ingredients together with the milk and cook as above. When thick and smooth, beat in the butter, pour into a jug and leave to cool, with an occasional stir.

Cut the sponge cake into thin slices and line a deep glass dish with a layer of cake. Sprinkle generously with rum and cover with a layer of vanilla custard. Cover with another layer of cake slices and this time soak with alkermes or syrup tinted with red food coloring. Spread with a layer of chocolate cream. Continue in this manner until the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of vanilla custard. Grate a little chocolate over the top, decorate with cherries, and chill for several hours before serving.

Serves 6