Homemade Chocolate Pudding

I know the title says Homemade CHOCOLATE Pudding, and you may be realizing just now that the picture below is missing something.....here is the story:

• Although this recipe is best Chocolate;
• My daughter really wanted to make this with me, and she likes it best vanilla.

So this batch is vanilla, BUUUUT to make it chocolate you only need to add 1 ingredient (cocoa powder) and everything else is exactly the same, so stick with me. 

This is a unique (think pudding in the microwave), EASY, great to make with and for kids, from scratch recipe.  I got this from my very dear friend Marisa.  In the original recipe she gave me she has written the idea of making this vanilla-flavored and calling it "Tubby Pudding" (You will only get the humor in that name if you have kids nearing driving age who watched the Teletubbies years ago - somehow we all survived). 

It was a good idea that still makes me grin.

This makes a smooth delicious chocolate pudding, and a pretty wonderful vanilla one too. I love this because it's plain but tasty so I almost always have all the ingredients and it's worth getting them out.  The whole process takes about 10 minutes and I get to separate eggs (I think that's fun).

To start out you will measure the flour and sugar and COCOA POWDER for chocolate pudding into a microwaveable bowl.  I use an 8-cup Pyrex type; you wouldn't want to go smaller than 6-cup.  Look at this cutie leveling flour.....

Imagine a big spoonful of cocoa powder next to the sugar and flour here. It would be gorgeous.

Then we add the milk, just pour it in slowly and whisk it well until the lumps are all out.

Now comes the cooking part and it can be a little bit tricky. You will cook the milk, flour, sugar mixture for 6 minutes total stirring after each minute.  

After messing this up a few times I came up with this little helper.  I set out 6 Splenda packets (you could use paper clips, M&Ms, candy corn, refrigerator magnets, you get the idea).  Each time I pull the mixture out of the microwave to stir, I move one of the packets over so I can remember how long I've been cooking.....it's ok to be a little forgetful though; you won't ruin this stuff.  You just need to give it a quick stir and make sure that the thickening flour doesn't all stay on the bottom of the bowl.

In between minute cooking you will need to separate three eggs.  Just let the ooey whites go between your fingers right down the drain and keep those beautiful yolks in a little bowl.  I separate eggs using my fingers, but you can use the shells if you want.  See those cute little hands?  She was letting the whites go through her fingers, but squealing just a tad the whole time.

After the 6 minutes are up you will lightly beat your yolks and pour just a little bit of the hot pudding mixture into the little egg bowl and stir them up really good.  This gets the eggs used to the hot pudding before you just dump them in.  This will really help the pudding to thicken smoothly and not lumpily.

Once you have lukewarm yolks you pour the whole bunch of them back into the hot pudding mixture and stir VERY well.  Imagine that this is a beautiful dark brown hot chocolate mess of yum.  I shoulda made two batches. 

OK, so now you will cook for 2 more minutes stirring every 30 seconds, soooo you will need 4 Splenda packs....or whatever.  It will really start to thicken up, if it gets lumpy just break out the whisk.  You know how I feel about a whisk.

Somewhere in the middle of this you realize that your preteen is doing this (see below) much less because she is cooking with you and talking and smiling and telling stories.  

Yes, this is why we make pudding from scratch.

Once your 4x 30 seconds are over you will stir in some butter and some vanilla.

And now you can eat this yummy stuff HOT, have you ever had hot pudding?  It's so good.  You can add any toppings that you can imagine......

So good....it is thicker after you chill it, warm it is kinda like the consistency of chocolate gravy (or in this case delicious vanilla gravy....I tend to complicate everything).

If you would like to have it cold, just cover with plastic wrap....if you put the wrap directly on the surface of the pudding it will keep it from getting that yucky milk skin grossness.  Chill, top, serve.....you can even fill a piecrust here and be a hero.

These are precious days, really wonderful sweet almost perfect ones.

Enjoy......and I'm not only talking about the pudding.

Homemade Chocolate Pudding
1/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I use 1 teaspoon for vanilla without cocoa powder)

In a 1-1/2 quart glass bowl mix flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Slowly add milk and mix well.  Cook in microwave 5-6 minutes (until thick) stirring at the end of each minute.  Add a little bit of hot mixture to egg yolks, stir and then pour back into hot mixture.  Stir well. Cook in microwave 2 minutes longer, stirring after every 30 seconds.  Add butter and vanilla. Stir well until butter is melted.  This is great hot, also a great filling for chocolate cream pie.  Leave out the cocoa and this is a great vanilla cream pudding; add 1 cup moist shredded coconut or 2-3 sliced bananas for Coconut Cream or Banana Pie.