velvety fudge pudding

Would you think me just too-too immodest if I told you that I make an absolutely killer chocolate pudding? One that goes great between layers of whipped cream, or in a chocolate cream pie, or even mixed with cool whip and piled into a parfait cup with an additional dollup on top. Sprinkle it with some crushed chocolate wafer cookie crumbs and there's just no turning back.

Problem is, the recipe has egg yolks and heavy cream and butter and chocolate. And sugar. And salt. Oh yeah, even my vanilla has alcohol in it. So now we see the second meaning of "killer" chocolate pudding!

As a woman of what they used to call "a certain age," I really can't afford indulgences like that very much. And even less so because I've just been offered and accepted a role in a play, as a woman half my age. Friends, I need to lose a little weight. Pronto. The play opens the end of September. No time like the present.

So I was tickled to find this recipe in Cooking Light. Made it, loved it. It's not killer, but it's quite good. But friends, take a look at the calorie total. If that's how fattening this is ... I can't even imagine how much more so the killer chocolate pudding is! So I guess this isn't quite the low-cal treat I was hoping for.

Shared a serving with The Huz, shipped the rest off to a family with kids. Very active kids. They can eat this without suffering blobules of fat starting to wobule around their tummies.

Oh, well, with peaches and cherries as good as they are right now, I can't really complain about not having yummy sweet treats available, now can I?

And there's always After The Play ... :o)

Velvety Fudge Pudding
From Cooking Light, July 2006 issue

1 cup 1% low-fat milk, divided
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 T cornstarch
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1½ tsp vanilla extract
chocolate shavings, optional

Combine ½ c milk, half-and-half, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or just until mixture starts to simmer.

Remove from heat; add chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. (NB: if you took it off the heat a little too quickly, the chocolate won't appear to completely blend with the milk. Don't worry, the next step will take care of that. I speak from experience.)

Place chocolate mixture over low heat and return to a simmer, stirring often.

Meanwhile, combine remaining milk, cornstarch, egg and egg white in a medium bowl or large measuring cup; stir with a whisk.

When chocolate mixture has begun to simmer, remix the egg mixture, as your cornstarch has probably drifted gracefully and silently to the bottom of the bowl. Then gradually add 1 cup of the hot mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the entire egg mixture into the pan, whisking. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat 4 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in vanilla. Serve warm, or place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (if you don't want it to form the chewy "skin" on top; my sister loves that part!) and chill.

Garnish with chocolate shavings before serving.

Serving size: ½ cup
Servings: 4

Calories: 314 (30% from sat fat)
Carbs 49 grams
Fat 10.3 grams (sat 5.8 g, mono 3.5 g, poly 0.5 g)

This is also my entry in WOBAT (Weekend Obnoxious But Amazingly Tasty) #2 over at A Fridge Full of Food And Nothing to Eat. Glenna will be posting the roundup shortly after August 15th. Can't wait to see what other WOBAT foods are posted then!