Make Your Own Chocolate Pudding

Back in the dinosaur age, when Hershey Bars were just about the only chocolate bars available, my favorite dessert was Royal Instant Chocolate Pudding.  It was basically brown powder in a box.  You poured it into a large bowl, added cold milk, stirred a while and then refrigerated it until needed. 

Years passed and I moved to London. That’s where I discovered Chocolate Mousse,
which is basically a fancy chocolate pudding made of real chocolate (no artificial flavoring), cream and eggs.  I made it frequently – until I read about the potential danger of eating a dessert that included raw eggs.

Now I use a safe-to-eat Homemade Chocolate Pudding recipe that pleases everyone.  It’s a lot more work than opening a box, but the effort is worth it. 

Real Chocolate Pudding – serves 6-10, depending on portion size (adapted from “Chocolate on the Brain”)  

4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 large egg + 2 large yolks
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
7 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (whole, part-skim or nonfat)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Melt the chocolate in a small, heavy pot over very low heat, stirring constantly.  When the chocolate is partly melted, turn off the heat and set aside.  The heat of the pot will melt the remaining chocolate. 

Put the egg and yolk in a medium heavy pot and beat briefly with a fork.  Add the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, coffee granules (if using) and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. 

Stir in the milk and begin heating over medium heat, stirring continually.  Cook for about 5 minutes, or until bubbles form around the edges and the mixture begins to thicken.  Add the melted chocolate, butter and vanilla and stir to incorporate.  Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. 

Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.  Here’s how to prevent a skin from forming on the top of the pudding.   Store leftovers, covered in the fridge.

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