Recipe: Not-Too-Sweet Dark Chocolate Pudding

Yesterday I started to share some of my favourite not-too-sweet treats. I decided to share these recipes in response to my post explaining why I’m glad natural sweeteners are expensive (i.e. because it prevents us from eating too much!)

Today, I’m continuing with another favourite:

Not-Too-Sweet Dark Chocolate Pudding

This is a very standard, simple chocolate pudding recipe, with the sugar cut down significantly. It doesn’t keep my almost-two-year-old daughter from loving it, though.

As ever, organic ingredients are preferred when possible. Our family makes this pudding using whole, raw milk from our aunt’s cow. Yum.

Ingredients:

•  1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar (we typically use organic cane sugar. Other sweeteners would work well, too, especially maple syrup)
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Whisk together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a medium pot. While whisking, slowly pour in milk to incorporate with dry ingredients. The mixture will look like chocolate milk.

2. Set pot over medium heat. Stir continuously (a silicone spoon works best), being sure to scrape sides and corners of pan so you don’t get lumps, until the entire surface of the pudding bubbles, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir 1 more minute.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Scrape into 4 individual-sized containers with lids (I like to use 4-oz mason jars, as in the photos). Let them cool a little before applying lids, so they don’t get all steamy and squishy inside – about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until firm — about an hour.

Makes 4 generous servings. (We don’t mess around with chocolate pudding around here).

Note: Although a lot of recipes say to do this, I don’t put plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a “skin” from forming, because (a) that sounds ridiculously toxic, and (b) I don’t see a problem with a skin. Your call. (In the photos, the skin has already been unceremoniously gobbled up.)

Now for some close-ups. I don’t have a fancy camera or any photography skills whatsoever, but you get the idea.

Oops, look who’s interrupting the photo shoot to steal some food again . . .

. . . So I had to give her her own little bowl full. (Notice the chocolate on her nose . . . and shirt . . . I told you we don’t mess around with chocolate pudding around here.)

How about you? What are your favourite not-so-sweet snacks and desserts?