Very Best Chocolate Pudding

Very Best Chocolate Pudding

If there’s a dish that wraps up all the desires of childhood – dessert, chocolate, comfort – more than chocolate pudding, I don’t know what it is. I can’t quite believe that I’ve been writing about food for kids for a year now and haven’t addressed its delicious creaminess. Before I made this batch of goodness, my four-year old had never touched the stuff. But just the name was enough to fill her with jumpy anticipation. Our toddler took one look at it and began to noisily demand a lick of it.

If all you’ve ever had is store bought pudding – look out. This recipe, with its velvety texture and intense chocolate flavour, is insanely addictive. While this pudding is full of simple, good ingredients, it can’t really be considered health food. It’s definitely a treat. But aren’t homemade desserts from your childhood the ones you remember most? 

photo: Maya Visnyei

Very Best Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups of milk
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 ounces (120 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp butter, room temperature

Method

In a bowl, whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt.

Add 1/2 cup of milk and blend until you have a chocolate-y paste.

Add yolks one at a time, mixing each in well.

Take a heavy-bottomed pot and rinse it with cold water, emptying the water into the sink. T

he very thin layer of cold water left behind is meant to protect your milk from scalding.

Pour 2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of whipping cream into the pot and bring just to a boil then remove from the heat.

Bit by tiny bit, add the hot milk to the chocolate-y paste.

Once it's well blended pour the mixture back into the heavy-bottomed pot.

Stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until it thickens like mayonnaise.

Remove from the heat

Strain the pudding through a sieve.

Use the back of a wooden spoon to push it through and be sure to run a spatula along the back of the sieve so you get all the pudding that will collect there.

While the pudding is still hot, add the chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla and stir until it all melts and shines.

Place a piece of cling film and tap it onto the surface of the pudding so you don't get a skin.

Put the bowl of pudding in the fridge to chill for at least a half an hour.

 

photo: Maya Visnyei

 

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3 Comments

  1. Barbara Yankoski
    March 31, 15:03 Reply

    Will definately try this dessert. The cute guy I married loves his chocolate pudding. And thanks for the hint rinsing a heavy bottomed pot before scalding milk. I use scaled milk for scalloped potatoes, for pouring into potatoes before mashing (keeps the heat in) and always fret over the pot. Will try this for sure. Your recipe for lasagna rolls with spinach is the biggest hit around here. We both love lasagna but with health issues as we get older, two rolls each is a good “portion controlled” serving and add a salad with loads of veggies we eat like royalty. Keep up the good work. 🙂 barby

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