Quick and Easy Chocolate or Vanilla Pudding

Warm or cold,

 la crème au chocolat (chocolate pudding), was a part of my childhood routine.

Growing up in France, my mum used to make us (my sisters and I) this delicious and comforting treat.

Real crème au chocolat should be rich, decadent and bursting with chocolate flavor.

It should have a smooth and creamy texture and a strong taste of cocoa.

Wonderful as a dessert (what better way to end a meal!), 

or for the goûter (afternooon snack).
Our son loves it!

(See the previous post where I talk about 

the chidren's goûter in France, HERE).

When I made crème au chocolat  yesterday, I decided that this recipe should absolutely be shared with you.

It is surprisingly easy to make 

and takes only 15 minutes to whip up from start to finish!

The pudding is thickened with the combination of cornstarch and egg yolks, which gives it a custard-like quality.

You may use cocoa powder, good chocolate or 

a combination of both.

My mum actually melts the chocolate in the milk, 

but I find that using cocoa powder instead, is a little quicker.

You should use whole milk to give the pudding 

a rich and creamy flavor. 

Of course, if you only have 2% milk in the house, 

it would still be okay. But I would not use a milk lower in fat, 

or the pudding would lose a bit of its magic.

This chocolate pudding may be simple, but simplicity is often just what you need.

Rediscover 

homemade pudding's comforting simplicity.

This recipe also makes a downright delicious vanilla pudding 
if you just leave out the cocoa powder.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (if making chocolate pudding)
• 2 1/2 cups of whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

• In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. If you are making chocolate pudding, add cocoa powder.

• Very gradually, whisk in the milk (just a few tablespoons at a time), making sure to dissolve the cornstarch thoroughly.

• Whisk in the egg yolks.

• Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat.

• When the first large bubble forms and sputters, reduce the heat to low. Still whisking, cook for 1 minute.

After whisking for 1 minute.

• Remove saucepan from the heat. Then stir butter and vanilla extract into the hot pudding. Yummy!

• Divide among 4 serving dishes.

• Chill the crème au chocolat for at least 3 hours (if eaten cold) and up to 3 days.

Voilà!

Notes:

If there are any small lumps, you may optionally run the pudding through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.

•••

If you dislike pudding skin, you may want to put plastic wrap on top of the pudding 

and smooth it gently against the surface, before refrigerating.

At home, we do not mind the skin,

I actually like it!

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,

Alexandra