2017 Cookbook Challenge Week 8 - Chocolate Pudding
In week 8 I wanted to make something fairly easy. The previous week I had made pie and since it's only the two of us, I didn't want to make something with quite as many servings. I decided to try making chocolate pudding from the "General Foods Cook Book", published in 1932. This book isn't as interesting looking as some of my other books. There are no fun illustrations or large colorful photographs, but it was definitely well used. The page with the pudding recipe was covered with chocolate stains, so I'm fairly certain this was a recipe that was made more than once.
I've never made chocolate pudding that wasn't from a box. To be honest, I always though the boxed pudding tasted just fine and was quick and easy, so never bothered making it from scratch. But, since I'm trying to cook 52 different recipes this year, I figured I might as well try.
It's actually pretty easy and only calls for a small number of ingredients, just milk, chocolate, sugar, vanilla, cornstarch and a bit of salt. I cooked the ingredients in my vintage Pyrex double-boiler. Including prepping the ingredients, this took about 40 minutes from start to finish.
As is often the case with store-bought vs. homemade, the final result was so much better than the boxed version. This pudding was rich and creamy and very chocolatey. It was closer to chocolate mousse than Jell-o pudding. Would I still make boxed pudding? Sure. But, if I wanted something a bit better, I'd definitely make this recipe again.
Week 8 Roundup:
Cookbook: "General Foods Cook Book", published 1932
Recipe: Chocolate Pudding
Difficulty: Not as easy as boxed, but pretty easy
Alterations: None.
Result: Very good.
Make again?: Yes.