Combine chocolate, sugar, salt and cream in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a slow boil while whisking constantly.

Whisk the egg yolks together in a small bowl.

Ladle 1/2 cup hot-chocolate mixture into egg-yolks, whisking constantly.

Slowly, pour chocolate-egg-yolk mixture back in the sauce pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly. Simmer chocolate cream until it thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon. Turn off heat, stir in vanilla.

Pour into four 4.5 oz pudding dishes. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Author: Deanna Pucciarelli, Chef and Associate Researcher,
Nutrition Department, UC Davis.