Sambuca-Chocolate Pudding, Espresso Streusel, Toffee, Hickory Nuts, and Madeira Mascarpone

In a medium pot over medium heat, combine milk, sucrose, vanilla extract, and salt, whisking to dissolve sucrose. When mixture boils, reduce heat and simmer. Add cornstarch slurry and whisk constantly for 30 seconds. Remove pot from heat and pour mixture into a medium bowl with chocolate and cocoa. Using an immersion blender, blend until combined. Add cocoa powder, sambuca, espresso, and fennel extract, blending until combined. Strain pudding through a chinois into a metal bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on surface and chill in an ice bath. Transfer pudding to 600-gram piping bags with plain tips and refrigerate.

In a small pot over medium heat, combine Madeira and sucrose. Tilt pot toward flame to ignite alcohol and flamb mixture 30 seconds, stirring to dissolve sucrose. Remove pot from heat and transfer mixture to medium bowl; cool. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in Mascarpone. Divide Madeira Mascarpone between two 380-gram piping bags with plain tips and refrigerate.

Heat oven to 325ºF. In a medium bowl, combine flour, espresso, baking powder, sucrose, brown sugar, and salt; toss with hands until combined. Add butter and toss until a fine streusel forms. Transfer streusel to a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake 10 minutes. Break up streusel, rotate tray and bake 5 minutes. Remove tray from oven and while streusel is hot and flexible; break into small pieces. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Heat oven to 325ºF. On an unlined sheet tray, combine nuts, butter, and salt. Bake 5 minutes, remove tray from oven and thoroughly mix. Bake 5 minutes more, mix, and let nuts cool to room temperature so they can absorb butter. Coarsely chop nuts and store in airtight container.

Line a large sheet tray with a silicone baking mat. In a shallow skillet over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Cook until mixture reaches 310ºF on candy thermometer, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk until bubbles subside and mixture is smooth. Quickly pour onto the lined sheet tray and cool to room temperature. Finely chop Toffee and store in an airtight container.

In a large bowl with tempered chocolate, fold in cherry extract. Cast mixture into a quarter-sheet tray and allow to fully crystallize. With a mandolin, scrape thin shavings of the chocolate. Store in an airtight container in cool, dry place.

Heat oven to 350ºF. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine butter, sucrose, and salt. Mix at high speed 3 minutes, until mixture is light and airy. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Reduce mixing speed to low. Slowly add egg whites. (Do not overwhelm butter mixture with egg whites.) When whites are combined, increase speed and mix 1 minute. Scrape down bowl and add cocoa powder. At the lowest mixing speed, mix in cocoa, pulsing mixer to avoid spilling, if necessary. Mix until rock-like clumps form. Transfer rocks to a parchment paper-lined sheet tray. Break up larger rocks so that all rocks a similar size. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, remove from oven and cool. Working in batches, grind rocks in spice grinder to fine crumbs, until they resemble espresso grounds. (Do not over-process or grounds will become greasy and liquefy.) Transfer to airtight container in and store in cool, dry place.

Pipe 3 ounces Pudding onto center of plate, pipe 1 ounce Madeira Mascarpone in center of Pudding. Scatter Espresso Streusel, Hickory Nuts, Toffee, Chocolate Shavings, and Chocolate Rocks on and around Pudding.