I love chocolate pudding.  Chocolate mousse is nice, but for pure home comfort food chocolate pudding has to be right up there on the list.

It amazes me how many people grab a box of Jell-o instant when they could so easily have the real thing. Darn Bill Cosby anyway!  If I promise to give you a no fail, super easy, incredibly fast pudding recipe will you swear, once and for all, to never touch a box of powdered toxic chemicals in chocolate flavor again? Good. I knew you would.

If you really want to streamline the creation of this just keep the dry ingredients mixed in a ziploc.

You can use it for pie filling or pudding, and if you refrigerate it uncovered it will get that nasty skin on it that my family finds to be the best part of the pudding.  In fact, ::::shudder::: My daughter has been known to pour it in a saucer to cool so that it is mostly……skin.

If you don’t want that, just butter a piece of wax paper and place it on top of the pudding as it is chilling.   I like to make a streusel with equal parts of butter, sugar, and flour to sprinkle on top of the finished pudding.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup organic cornstarch (no GMOs!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5-1/2 cups half and half…you can use whole milk if you must but do not use low fat or skim…
•  1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients together until there are no lumps of cocoa or cornstarch.  Add half and half slowly whisking smooth as you add the cream.  Whisk it until smooth.  Now…put in the microwave and cook, stirring every minute, until mixture is thick and coats a spoon…This will take 6 to 9 minutes.

Remove from microwave and add butter in small pieces, whisking it in to blend.  Finally add vanilla.  Cover (or not) and chill until ready to serve.

8 servings, or one pie.

image:Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights