For me, it began, oh, I don’t know….two weeks into the rain. It has been pretty much raining for two weeks straight, right? Comfort foods…I NEED pudding. Chocolate. The kind you cook. Five top comfort foods…for a rainy day, and an awesome homemade chocolate pudding recipe that you can make with what you have in your kitchen (in case you are desperately trying to make pudding at midnight like me….)
Last night I was determined: I was NOT going to bed until I had a bowl of chocolate pudding. I was craving the cook & serve kind. You know, the kind your mom used to make, with the skin that forms along the top?
Yes…this was definitely a reaction to too many rainy days. We made it from scratch…stirring constantly….staying up too late for something as simple as pudding….without dragging out to the store for ingredients. But….I feel better. (recipe below)
Top 5 Comfort Foods:
1. Mashed Potatoes–You can try intant if you want. With lots of butter. But I recommend for real mashed potatoes. With for real butter.
2. Bread Pudding–best if you do not cheat and use…uh….pudding in the recipe. The pudding-ness should come from the eggs and milk custardy-ness.
3. Meat Loaf–must use ketchup on top…just ketchup…nothing tricky or fancy
4. Macaroni and Cheese–make it with a whole block of Velveeta and add some sour cream…your craving will be quenched for a year
5. Pudding–Chocolate and Banana seem to be most popular for comfort
Awesome Homemade Chocolate Pudding you can make with what you probably already have in the cupboard and fridge:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate …OR 1/2 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (this is necessary for the proper taste even though you are making a chocolate pudding)
If you are using cocoa… start by combining the cocoa, sugar, corn starch, salt, and milk in a large saucepan. At first the corn starch may clump, but use a whisk and keep stirring and it will dissolve nicely. Still stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken and boil. Boil one minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Using another dish, lightly beat the three eggs. Gradually stir about half of the hot corn starch mixture into the eggs. If you’re nervous about accidentally prematurely cooking the eggs with the heat, add the corn starch mixture one tablespoon at a time, and don’t forget to keep stirring as you add it in.
After about half of the hot mixture has been mixed into the eggs, pour all of the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the hot corn starch mixture. Stir both together thoroughly. Put the saucepan back on the heat, still stirring constantly, and boil the mixture for one more minute. Remove the pan from the heat again and stir in the vanilla and the butter.
If you are using chocolate… start by combining the sugar, corn starch, salt, and milk in a large saucepan. At first the corn starch may clump, but use a whisk and keep stirring and it will dissolve nicely. Still stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken and boil. Boil one minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Using another dish, lightly beat the three eggs. Gradually stir about half of the hot corn starch mixture into the eggs. If you’re nervous about accidentally prematurely cooking the eggs with the heat, add the corn starch mixture one tablespoon at a time, and don’t forget to keep stirring as you add it in.
After about half of the hot mixture has been mixed into the eggs, pour all of the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the hot corn starch mixture. Stir both together thoroughly. Put the saucepan back on the heat, still stirring constantly, and boil the mixture for one more minute. Remove the pan from the heat again and stir in the vanilla, butter, and chocolate squares until the butter and chocolate are melted and thoroughly mixed in.
Let the pudding cool completely, if you can wait. Or just eat it. At 1am, if necessary.
