03 May 2011

The proof is in the pudding...

Homemade chocolate pudding is waaaaaayyyyyyy better than pudding from a box.

And it really isn't all that hard to make. It does take some watching and stirring and paying attention... ugh... we know how that tends to go for me :P  (click here and here and here if you don't know why they call me Burning Mom)

I am going to teach you how to make it so that you, too, can enjoy a more wholesome pudding!  Note:  this is not the low-fat, low-cal, sugar-free healthfood version... no sireebob...

Ingredients:

1/2-cup  granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
2 oz. chocolate, chopped to facilitate melting ... you can use unsweetened, bittersweet or semisweet... I use bittersweet and I use 3 oz. shhhhhh....
3 whole eggs
2-1/2 cups half-and-half (but that comes in a pint size which is 2 cups, so I use one half cup of whipping cream... more of which figures in later)
2 tablespoons butter... softened or cut into small pieces for easier melting
1 teaspoon vanilla

First, put the sugar, the salt and the cornstarch in a medium-sized saucepan
and
get the chocolate starting to melt in a double-boiler on LOW heat.
(I use a teeny pan inside a metal bowl inside a small pan with an inch or so of water in it... 
you don't want the chocolate to get too hot or something weird and grainy happens... really)

mmmmmmmmm... melting chocolate...

While the chocolate is melting, mix the eggs and cream/milk until creamy yellow...

I like to make it frothy and so does Baby X :)

In the meantime, you do need to be stirring the melting chocolate so that it is creamy and fully melted...

I need a stirring gadget for this, but for now the spoon handle does the trick ;-)


Pour the eggs and cream mixture into the saucepan containing the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
Set on medium heat.
Whisk thoroughly and even use a scraper to get the dry ingredients out of pan's corners
(yes, I know it's a round pan... but it does have corners!)

Here's where the hardish part comes in...

you need to almost continuously stir/whisk this mixture while it's heating until it starts thickening, which takes about 10 minutes.
It really does take about 10 minutes every time for me.
At the same time, you need to make sure the chocolate is smoothly melted, and once it is you need to 'cool' it... I usually just set it on the counter and occasionally put it in the fridge for a few minutes.

When you first begin to notice the thickening, add the butter and vanilla... and keep stirring!

Once the butter is melted 
(it should be soft enough or in small enough pieces that this happens pretty fast)
you whisk in the 'cooled' melted chocolate!
Keep whisking and scraping so that it is minimally lumpy and totally combined.

Once it is totally combined, pour into cups for individual servings or a larger bowl for an enormous single serving from which you can scoop individual servings later.
Put in the fridge until semi-solid :)

Now time to whip the cream!

I put in powdered sugar and vanilla in no particular amounts... just sort of to taste or on a whim.
And I tend to overwhip the cream... almost but not quite butter...
but that is how I like it.

Glop that whipped cream on top...

Dig in!


My husband told me that this last batch was fancy restaurant-quality!  Woo hoo...

not bad for Burning Mom ;-)

16 comments:

  1. Looks great! I am notorious for my burning too, though I prefer to say that I am just giving it a smoky taste. I think my family is cathching on! Lol! Always fun to drop by!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Using "nosireebob" and "teeny" in a post makes you Pullitzer worthy. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was a treat just. Watching that pudding cone together! I can say with 100% certainty that I've never had real, homemade pudding.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Two things:
    - With your past the "burning mom" character could be the chief mascot of Burning Man Festival (is it still going on?)

    - about 10 minutes...every time. How can something be about every time? That's a great cop-out line :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you use REALLY dark high percentage chocolate you can call it healthy!!!

    Danny, my neighbor's brother was one of the guys responsible for that festival.

    As to the "Burning Mom" title, we were starting a fire once in high school at my friends house, and the flue hadn't started drawing fully yet so the house was filled with just a little smoke. His mom walked in took one whiff and asked, "Who's cooking!"

    ReplyDelete
  6. I will say this looks delishious! However, I have such a bad taste in my mouth for homemade pudding. My mom always made it growing up, but she served it warm. I just can't get passed it. Perhaps I'll grow up one day....

    ReplyDelete
  7. YUM!!! And great pictures! You are so cool to make it from scratch!
    XO

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh God! I'm licking my screen. You people who taunt me with your SUGAR!!!! Nosiness?? Are you from Minnesota-ha! Anyway, looks good "burning mom" and when I'm done with this stupid thing called marathon training, I'm making that and eating it ALL myself....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Seriously? I was just thinking about a diet!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Come on, this is HOME MADE and healthy! Just look at all those good for you ingredients!

    ReplyDelete
  11. it looks so delicious!!! I want some!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's a magnificent recipe that I'll never make.

    But man, does it look and sound delicioso!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great step-by-step instructions. My kiddos are really getting into pudding right now so i'll have to give this a try. Thanks so much for voting for me in the Athleta contest http://bit.ly/kjFYGe. That was super nice of you. I'm following you on gfc.

    ReplyDelete
  14. OMG looks so good and sighhh My dd has been cooking up a storm I may add this to her recipes to try :) lol TFS
    New follower

    ReplyDelete
  15. Delish Marjorie! Top Chef Just Desserts will be knocking on your door!

    I LOVE PUDDING!!!

    ReplyDelete

we *heart* comments!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...