On most nights after everyone has enjoyed dinner, the kitchen is clean and the house is quiet, I start to hear activity in the kitchen. A couple of cabinets opening and closing, the refrigerator opening and after a long pause, being shut and maybe even some rustling in the pantry. I know those sounds well – my husband and kids are on the hunt for something sweet. I tend not to have a lot of cookies, cakes and candy in the house. I don’t have a sweet tooth the way they do, but I’ve been known to rummage around looking for something, too, and if it’s not here, I can’t eat it. I’m not a horrible mother and I do my fair share of baking but not on a daily basis. If I had my choice, I would reach for a gummy bear but the three kitchen hunters in my house would 100% vote for chocolate. I found cute little graham cracker cups/pies in the supermarket last week and while I didn’t know what I would fill them with, I knew something would pop into my head eventually. Today, it did – chocolate pudding. Rich, creamy, silky chocolate pudding which I guarantee is easier than you think to make.
From the moment the idea popped into my head to the time I placed the little chocolate pies in the refrigerator, it took about 20 minutes. Truly. Once the dry ingredients (sugar, corn starch, salt and cocoa powder) are mixed, you add whole milk and once it is thick, drop in some butter and vanilla. Done! I went for individual pies but you could certainly make one large pie as well. Either way, a little whipped cream and shaved chocolate is all you need to finish them. This was so easy and delicious I will absolutely serve this for a dinner party, maybe in a martini glass for a fancier presentation. If you have chocolate lovers in your family, you will be a hero for making this!
Ingredients
2 ½ cups Whole milk
¾ cup Sugar
¼ cup Cornstarch
¼ cup + 2 tbs Unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s)
¼ tsp Salt
2 tbs Butter
½ tsp Vanilla extract (I use pure, not imitation)
1 tbs Brewed coffee
Directions
Combine the sugar, corn starch, cocoa powder and salt in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and whisk in the milk until thickened, about five minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter is completely melted.
Transfer to small bowls or use to fill a pie (graham cracker or regular pie crust would be great).
Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate to serve.
eyummykitchen.com 