It’s snowing, raining and generally miserable in much of the northeast US today. I’m so sorry. It will all be alright. Really.
Just make some chocolate pudding. You’ll feel all better in a snap.
This recipe was in the box of recipe cards I have from my great-grandmother. She taught me to sew, to crochet, to knit, and to bake. We made latkes, tsimmis, rugelach, and hamentaschen in her little kitchen. Her recipe cards are an inspiration (and sometimes horrifying – oleo!) I’ve updated this recipe a bit, adding a little bit of coffee flavoring, bittersweet chocolate and creme fraiche where she used Nestle’s chips and Cool Whip.
When the day has been miserable, when life hands you lemons, when you need a little boost, this pudding is easy to make and ready to eat quickly.
Give it a try. It won’t make the snow go away, but maybe you won’t care as much.
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Agatha’s Double Chocolate Pudding
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tsp espresso powder, optional (consider this carefully if you have small children)
2 T cornstarch
2 c whole milk
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 T unsalted butter
Creme Fraiche
Shaved Chocolate or Chocolate Curls to garnish
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, espresso powder and cornstarch.
Turn the heat up to medium and slowly whisk in the milk, getting into all the corners of the saucepan to avoid lumps.
Bring the mixture to a slow boil and boil for 3 minutes until the pudding is thick and silky.
Remove from the heat and beat in (with the whisk) the chopped chocolate. Then beat in the butter.
Pour into ramekins or custard cups or heavy drinking glasses (the pudding is hot – be careful.)
Press plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding to avoid the skin that will form.
You can layer the pudding with creme fraiche to make it a real parfait. I don’t have parfait glasses, but now I want these.
Chill the pudding for two hours. I know it’s so difficult to do, but it needs time to set up.
Garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche, chocolate shavings or curls, or a strawberry, if you happen to have some in the fridge.
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Emily
I have never made homemade pudding in my life. And I can’t say I would normally pick chocolate to make (it’s not my go-to dessert, at least not all the time). But with the rain, snow, ice, WHATEVER that’s hit NYC, this looks so soothing.
How many servings does it make? (I assume 2 by the picture, but just checking!)
Cathy
Makes four servings. But it could be two. Or one. 🙂
dahlila
This looks heavenly. I LOVE chocolate pudding. Grant it, I grew up on Jello brand, but this looks divine. Especially with the hint of coffee & the creme fraiche. 🙂
dahlila xo
Janis
I hate chocolate so I wouldn’t make this but I love grandma’s.
Renee (kudos kitchen)
Hand me a spoon and I’ll dig right in!
Barbara | VinoLuciStyle
Well, it does have to be in the fridge for two hours and I still have two hours to wait for my corned beef so thinking I might as well. The first thing I ever made with a ‘gourmet’ name was pots de chocolat…very simply just a really good chocolate pudding and that changed everything for me; learning what a huge difference homemade could be.
What I love the most? The espresso powder; chocolate is always elevated with espresso if you ask me!
Chef Danielle @ Cooking Clarified
Um, is it inappropriate to say I want to get IN THAT BOWL?
s.
Looks spectacular and nice to see VBC’s creme fraiche on the table. 🙂
nialisa
Miss you this Sat. and more importantly “chocolate pudding” – sounds great and must be if it came from grandma.
norma
This is decadent…
Winnie
Yummy. I love chocolate pudding…and adding the espresso powder sounds ridiculously good!