A Quick Note on Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate pudding is much easier and faster to make than you might think. I grew up eating Jello pudding cups and never thought twice about them until now (just how, exactly, do they keep a skin from forming...).

Most of the ingredients can be found in your kitchen if you bake semi-regularly and if you don't have unsweetened chocolate squares on hand, you can substitute unsweetened cocoa powder with oil or butter.

Rich and Creamy Chocolate Pudding
From allrecipes.com and loosely interpreted by me


Yields 2 servings


2/3 C  low fat milk
4 tsp  cake or all-purpose flour (substitute for cornstarch)

1/6 C  sugar

1/8 tsp  salt

1  square unsweetened baking chocolate, finely chopped
1  egg yolk
2  tsp butter
1 tsp  vanilla

1. Whisk together flour and milk in a small saucepan until homogenous.
2. Add sugar, salt, and chocolate and whisk constantly over medium-low heat until chocolate melts and the liquid thickens.
3. In a small bowl, add a small amount of warm chocolate mix to the egg yolk and whisk. Repeat and then add back to saucepan.
4. Return saucepan to medium-low heat and whisky constantly for 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla.
6. Divide between two ramekins and chill for 20 minutes or serve warm.
7. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding Reflections

Really, just how do commercial pudding manufacturers keep a skin from forming? They must have traded a few dozen souls for the unholy ingredients that keep that skin away because the minute I stopped stirring, a skin started to form. It wasn't so bad, to be honest, but the longer you keep the pudding, the thicker the skin. I suppose this could be avoided by laying plastic wrap directly on the pudding, but I think that's an overly messy affair that's not worth it if you're eating the pudding the same day.

Sorry there aren't any pictures; this was really an it's-raining-and-I-got-splashed-by-two-buses-on-the-way-home quick cozy dessert.