My Pantry Shelf

Originally I was planning on making a decadent chocolate mousse for Valentine’s Day.  I craved the over-the-top chocolately richness of a mousse, but at the store with cream in hand, I reconsidered.  Valentine’s Day or not, I wasn’t feeling like I could justify my family and I consuming a pint of cream.  Then I remembered pudding! Chocolate pudding may be the ultimate chocolate comfort food.  Each bite sings of childhood, yet by using dark chocolate and  the optional addition of liqueur, it can be quite the adult indulgence as well.

This chocolate pudding is very rich.  It incorporates both unsweetened cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate.  As with all chocolate desserts, it will only be as good as the chocolate you use.  I like Ghiradelli, which is widely available in supermarkets.  Feel free to cater to your personal craving.  If you want something even more rich, use bittersweet chocolate in place of the semi-sweet.  If you want a milder chocolate flavor, more akin to the kid-friendly box pudding mixes, cut the semi-sweet chocolate in half.  You can experiment with low-fat milk as well.   It would probably work fine, but I haven’t tried it myself.  You really can not go wrong.  Plus, if you have only made pudding from the box, I imagine you will be fully converted to this method.  It is super easy and quick and the result is tremendously satisfying, just look at my happy Little Miss!

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