Excerpts

Johnny Iuzzini's Chocolate Soup Serves 8 on its own or 16 as part of a FourPlay When I was growing up, chocolate milk was a treat, and the chocolate milk that ended up in a bowl of Cocoa Puffs when I had those for breakfast was the biggest treat of all. This soup is chocolate milk made cool and grown up, with quality ingredients and a contrast of textures. It reminds me of home. For the Cocoa Puffs:    • 8 ounces (250 g) milk chocolate (preferably Valrhona Jivara 40% cacao), chopped    • 1 cup (7 g) Cocoa Puffs Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, or melt in a double boiler. Roll the Cocoa Puffs in the chocolate, coating them completely. Lift them out with a fork, letting the excess chocolate drip off, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set. Store in a cool place. For the Chocolate Soup (makes about 4 1/2 cups) :    • 4 cups (960 g) milk    • 4 teaspoons (7 g) juniper berries, crushed in a mortar or coarsely ground in a spice grinder    • 9 ounces (150 g) bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona Araguani 72% cacao), finely chopped Put 1 cup of the milk in a small saucepan with the juniper berries. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the juniper infuse for 25 minutes. Have the chopped chocolate ready in a heatproof bowl, and, remember, the finer you've chopped the chocolate, the better. Bring the milk back to a boil, then strain into a measuring cup. Add some of the remaining 3 cups milk, if needed, to make 1 cup. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate, let it sit for a moment, then whisk to melt the chocolate and make an emulsion. Pour in the rest of the cold milk, and froth the soup with an immersion blender. Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. For the Devon Foam:    • 2/3 cup heavy cream    • 1/2 cup Devon cream (available at gourmet markets and specialty stores)    • 1/2 cup milk, plus additional if needed Whisk the heavy cream and Devon cream together in a bowl until thick. Whisk in the milk, then froth with an immersion blender (add additional milk if you need to). Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. To Serve: Thin the chocolate soup with some cold milk if it's too thick to sip, and froth it again with an immersion blender. Divide the soup among sixteen small glasses (for tasting portions) or among eight coffee cups. Drop in a few of the Cocoa Puffs, then spoon on a layer of the Devon foam. Top with a few more Cocoa Puffs. Excerpted from Dessert FourPlay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini, Roy Finamore All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.