Coffee Milk Pudding

Ingredients

• 60 g espresso (freshly brewed, or strong coffee made with espresso powder)
• 160 g whole milk
• 70 g heavy cream
• 30 g condensed milk
• 10 g whole milk powder
• 2 g tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
• salt (a tiny pinch)
• 2.5 g gelatin sheets (softened in cold water)
• 2 g dark rum or coffee liqueur (optional; up to 3g)
• 15 g heavy cream (for topping)
• 10 g whole milk (for topping)
• 1 g condensed milk (for topping)
• espresso powder (a small pinch for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Soften the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water.

2. 2

   In a saucepan, whisk together the espresso, 160g whole milk, 70g heavy cream, 30g condensed milk, milk powder, tapioca starch, and salt until completely smooth.

3. 3

   Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly. Heat until it reaches approximately 70°C (158°F), then remove it from the heat.

4. 4

   Squeeze any excess water from the softened gelatin sheets, add them to the warm mixture, and stir until completely dissolved.

5. 5

   Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or pitcher to remove any undissolved milk powder or starch.

6. 6

   Stir in the dark rum or coffee liqueur, if using.

7. 7

   Pour the mixture into serving bowls or cups. Skim off any bubbles from the surface with a spoon for a smooth finish.

8. 8

   Cover the cups with plastic wrap, ensuring the wrap does not touch the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.

9. 9

   To make the optional coffee cream topping, whisk together the 15g heavy cream, 10g whole milk, 1g condensed milk, and a pinch of espresso powder until completely smooth.

10. 10

    Pour the coffee cream over the fully set pudding just before serving.

Notes

To prevent a milk skin from forming, cover the serving cups with plastic wrap as soon as the warm pudding is poured in. Once fully chilled, carefully peel off the plastic wrap in one quick motion before the condensation has a chance to drip. If you do not have condensed milk, replace the 30g in the base with 22-25g granulated sugar. Gelatin sheets and powdered gelatin can be substituted 1:1 by weight.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• no-bake
• japanese
• coffee
• pudding
• vegetarian