We want some figgy pudding
We want some figgy pudding
We want some figgy pudding
Please bring it right here!
Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!
Well you can sing that song and dance all you want. However, in Asia, goodluck finding some of the most basic things that you can find isles and isles of in the States. It is not like I want a miracle , My kids just want some chocolate pudding. How hard can that be….???
So here I am at the local Parknshop here in Hong Kong, looking in the dessert area, lets see we have some…
Black Sesame Seed dessert soup (tongsui), sweet glutinous rice, sweet red bean paste soup with mochi, Sai mai lo or Sago (A dessert soup of pearl tapioca, coconut and evaporated milk), Steamed egg custard, Sweet almond soup, but no where in sight do I see any pudding. No chocolate pudding! What has this world come to???? Oh wait, there is some weird expired powdered custard on the back shelf. So let’s go to Plan B and make some homemade chocolate pudding.
Believe it or not, I have never made homemade chocolate pudding from scratch. Instant pudding was always readily available on the grocery shelves in the USA and even in Japan. However, I had no idea what we were missing out on. Instant chocolate pudding is so flat in flavor, it is just full of preservatives and products. I cannot even pronounce many of the ingredients. This home-made rich chocolate pudding is so rich and flavorful and so easy to make, why not give it a try in your kitchen.
Homemade Rich Chocolate Pudding (Serves 4 adults or 2 hungry teenage boys)
Recipe adapted from All recipes, Hasty chocolate pudding, from Debra
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups milk ( I used skim milk but whole milk would make it even richer)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa and cornstarch. Whisk in milk a little at a time so that so you do not have any lumps. (no one likes lumpy pudding)
- Put it in the microwave, and cook for 3 minutes on high. Stir, then cook at 1 minute intervals, stirring between cooking times for 2 to 4 minutes (or until shiny and thick). Stir in vanilla. (I ended up having to cook mine for about 6 minutes total as I am sure each microwave heats a little differently, just heat a minute at a time and stir in between- be patient)
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator. (This is a very important step. Unlike the instant kind of pudding, the cooked kind of pudding will form a skin)
- Serve cold. I placed my pudding in some individual graham cracker crust cups (crushed graham cracker, butter and sugar) with whipped topping and chocolate shavings.
My family loved this homemade rich chocolate pudding dessert, every bowl was licked clean. Happy Holidays to you and your family from Bam’s Kitchen.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
December 22, 2011 at 3:45 pm
I love how thick and velvety it looks
I have never made pudding from scratch either
Bam's Kitchen
December 24, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Thank you. I was actually pretty shocked on how easy and great this little recipe is. Great recipe for kids as only need a microwave to make.
Joanne Ozug
December 22, 2011 at 5:53 pm
Mmm, I’ve never made pudding from scratch either but I need to, yours looks great. I’m sure it’s delicious, and right now my opinion of pudding isn’t that high because I associate it with those terrible cups you buy prepackaged at the store. Time for a redemption!
Bam's Kitchen
December 24, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Hello Joanne, I agree that the pre-made plastic tasting pudding in the cups is horrible. Try the homemade version and I am sure you will love pudding again. You know if I was not constantly having difficulty with obtaining cooking supplies of western food products in Hong kong, I would have never tried it. It is kind of like a happy accident. Happy holidays to you!
Kathleen Richardson
December 22, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Thanks for the reminder of how delicious homemade pudding can be and how easy it is to make — in the microwave, no less! My mom always made homemade and my brothers and I fought over who got the most “skin” from the top. I’m definitely going to bookmark this one.
Merry Christmas and keep on blogging.
thecompletecookbook
December 22, 2011 at 10:02 pm
I am so pleased you found this awesome recipe – it looks superb!
Mandy
Bam's Kitchen
December 24, 2011 at 11:50 am
Thanks Mandy, so rich and soooo easy. Have a happy Holiday to you and your family! BAM
gardenfreshtomatoes
December 24, 2011 at 11:00 am
I’ve always used the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook recipe for chocolate cream pie filling…it’s not the holidays around here without it!
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Bobbi!
Bam's Kitchen
December 24, 2011 at 11:38 am
Dear Marie, I will have to try the Better homes and Garden cookbook recipe. Sounds delicious. Happy holidays to you and your family and take care, BAM
Choc Chip Uru
February 3, 2012 at 6:01 pm
When you say rich, you mean very rich no? Good for you, looking fan-tas-tic
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru