| INGREDIENTS | LBS. | OZS. | METRIC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole milk, fresh | 1 | 1.6 | 500 g |
| Cocoa powder, 20-22% fat | 0.3 | 7.5 g | |
| Bourbon vanilla bean pulp, 1/2 | |||
| Ceylon cinnamon, as needed | |||
| Ground cardamom, as needed | |||
| Red food coloring, as needed | |||
| Sugar | 3.5 | 100 g | |
| Egg yolks, fresh | 2.8 | 80 g | |
| Pastry cream powder | 1.1 | 30 g | |
| Dark chocolate couverture 70% | 4.2 | 120 g | |
| Total appr. wt. | 1 | 13.5 | 837.5 g |
Method: Heat the milk, cocoa powder, scraped vanilla bean pulp, cinnamon, cardamom and a few drops of red food coloring to 176°F (80°C). Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Bring the milk mixture back to a simmer and reserve. Caramelize the sugar, and stop the caramel from cooking further by adding the milk mixture. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Combine the egg yolks and pastry cream powder. Add some of the boiling milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture; strain, and then add it back to the boiling milk. Cook for two minutes to remove the starchy flavor. Remove from heat, add the chocolate couverture and mix. Spread the pastry cream on a sheet pan between plastic wrap to keep it from forming a skin. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for seven to 10 minutes allowing it to cool quickly and stop any growth of bacteria. Keep the pastry cream refrigerated.