Chocolate Budino

First, peel the lemon and save the skin. You want just the yellow outer part, no the white, which is bitter.

Mince the chocolate bar finely and sift the cocoa powder. Set aside.

Pour the milk, cold from the fridge, into a pot along with the lemon peel, and bring to simmer over medium heat.

Once the milk starts to simmer, turn off the heat, discard the lemon peel, and cover with a lid.

In a pot big enough to contain all the budino mixture, melt the butter with the sugar and the honey. You want the mixture uniform and liquid, not caramelized.

When the butter and sugar are melted and the honey is thinned, add the cocoa powder, the spices, and salt, whisking until consistent.

Add the cornstarch a little at a time, mixing until smooth and without lumps.

Add a ladleful of hot milk to the sugar and butter mixture, whisking until uniform.

Next, add the minced chocolate and more warm milk, a ladle at a time. Keep mixing to obtain a smooth blend.

Finally, place the pot over medium/low heat and cook until the mixture becomes as thick as yogurt, whisking continuously.

At this point, pour the budino mixture immediately into your preferred molds or glasses and chill.

To keep the budino from forming a skin, press saran wrap onto the surface while chilling. When set and ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap, wipe any spills off the glass and garnish with whipped cream, fresh fruit and /or crushed cookies crumbs.