Recipe scouts, episode II

Here's another one that Moriah and Dylan sent me recently. This one was very surprising and should bring a smile to Cassie: a chocolate pudding with tofu! The original was shooting for a flavor like Mexican hot chocolate, but it went a little overboard with 1½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of "chile powder, or more to taste." I went with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and found that to be plenty (you can leave out the cayenne entirely if you prefer). I made individual puddings, but you could pour the whole batch into a graham cracker or other cookie crust and make it into the easiest chocolate pie ever.

 

  

Chocolate Pudding with Cinnamon and Cayenne

Adapted from Mark Bittman via NYT Cooking (updated Sept. 8, 2025)
 
Time: ~15 minutes, plus chilling time

You can omit the cayenne if you prefer. I used six 4-ounce ramekins; four 6-ounce ramekins would also work. You can also pour the entire batch of pudding into a graham cracker or other cookie crust and serve it as pie.

150 grams (¾ cup) granulated white sugar
177 grams (¾ cup) water
227 grams (8 ounces) high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used 18 squares of our favorite Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate)
1 pound (454 grams) silken tofu, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note)
A big pinch of kosher salt
Chocolate shavings, for serving (optional)

    1. Measure the sugar and water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, which won’t take long. Set aside.
    2. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Transfer to the bowl of a blender. Pour the warm simple syrup (sugar water) over the chocolate. Cover with the blender lid and let sit for 5 minutes while you gather the remaining ingredients.
    3. Add the tofu, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt to the blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
    4. Pour into 4 to 6 ramekins, depending on how big your ramekins are (see note). Park in the fridge until set, 30 minutes or more.
    5. Serve with chocolate shavings, if you like. Serves 4 to 6.