Chocolate Pudding

I have become addicted to Chocolate pudding. Whole Foods has a chocolate pudding that I have an unholy love for. Rich and thick and creamy, and very subtle and it has become my comfort food. However, usually when I most crave it, they don't have it and so I determined that I was going to make my own.

Well needless to say my first attempt was a disaster. It tasted like thick brown starch. Bleeaahh!

So I went to Whole Foods and read the label and found out the SECRET INGREDIENT!!!! They use rice starch instead of corn starch. Hmmm... So I went looking. I didn't find rice starch, but I did find tapioca starch. So I decided to give it a try. Eureka!!! Success! Perfect chocolaty lusciousness.

Chocolate Pudding
2 tblsp tapioca and 1 tblsp Corn starch ( Or 3 tblsp Rice starch)
1/2 cup Zsweet (zero calorie sweetener from Whole Foods)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used 1/2 Giradelli, and ¼ Sarah’s Parisian Cocoa)
⅛ tsp. salt
1 cup heavy cream
1½ cups whole milk
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Put the cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together thoroughly, making sure no cornstarch or cocoa-powder lumps remain. Whisk in the cream and milk.

Heat over medium-low heat, whisking steadily and scraping the sides of the pan occasionally. When gently warm but before the pudding comes to a boil, whisk in the egg, the butter, and the chopped chocolate. Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring until the butter and chocolate have melted and dissolved into the mixture.

When the pudding has come to a low boil and begun to thicken, remove from the heat. Whisk in the vanilla extract and pour the pudding into dessert dishes or a single large bowl.

You can let the pudding cool slowly on the countertop and serve it soft and warm, if you like. If you prefer to serve it firm and chilled, cover the pudding with plastic wrap (stretched taut if you like skin on your pudding, or pressed gently into the surface of the pudding if you don’t) and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Serve garnished with freshly whipped cream and grated semisweet chocolate, if you like.

You can replace the 2 1/2 cups of liquid dairy with any combination you like: all whole milk, all half-and-half, etc. Don’t use all skim milk, however; the pudding deserves the richness and thick mouthfeel of milk fat.

Feel free to add a splash of liquor, such as Grand Marnier or brandy, to the finished pudding along with the vanilla extract.