Chocolate Pudding Parfait with Chantilly Cream

For the pudding:
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, egg yolks and milk. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the whipping cream and vanilla extract. Heat the cream until just before it is boiling, or until bubbles begin to form around the edges and it is visibly steaming. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and in a thin steady stream, pour the cream into the cocoa and egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan.

Re-heat the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the pudding, stirring gently, for 5-6 minutes or until it is slightly thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped dark chocolate. Mix gently until the chocolate is completely melted and the pudding is smooth.

Pour the pudding into small serving bowls or glasses. Cover each bowl with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until cooled and set.

For the Chantilly cream:
Chill the bowl and whisk attachment from your stand mixer in the fridge for 20 minutes or in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Begin by whisking the cream on medium-high speed for 2 or 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the granulated sugar and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to high speed and whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks and will hold its shape. Use a pastry bag to pipe the Chantilly cream, or spoon the cream, over each pudding.

For the chocolate decorations:
Begin by using a cheese grater to shave a small amount of chocolate over each pudding parfait.

Chop any remaining chocolate into small even pieces. Put the chocolate in a microwave safe dish and heat the chocolate for 30 seconds on high. Stir. Repeat if necessary in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted.

Pour the melted chocolate into the corner of a small Ziploc bag. Twist the bag to close it and this will keep the chocolate in the corner of the bag.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Cut the tip off the corner of the Ziploc bag and drizzle each pudding parfait with a small amount of melted chocolate. Then create different designs, piping the chocolate directly onto the parchment paper (make enough decorations for each parfait). Refrigerate the baking sheet until the chocolate is set. Place one chocolate decoration on each chocolate pudding parfait.