I was notorious in my family for being the child that could only be comforted by my mother.
Most playful family weekends, the scene went something like this: I’d be in the backyard playing with my little sister, my dad and Scamper, the family dog on our creaky, rusted and awesomely fun swing set. My favorite move was to swing as high as I could, count to three with my sister and jump out of the swings onto the grass. Sounds innocent enough, but I was always getting my little girl fingers stuck in the chains of the swing as I dismounted.
I’d hit the ground and look at my dad with the silent cry face… the face kids give their parents before the completely lose it and burst into tears. My dad would invariable come over and try to talk me out of losing it, but I was already halfway into the ugly cry by then. It was then that no one but my mom could handle the cajoling and kissing of my finger. I’d run into the house, screaming like a maniac and clutching my (not even bleeding) finger, looking for my mother who had found just a few moments peace to take a shower or a short nap. I’d force myself into her lap, lift the offending, pained finger, and wait for the mom comfort to blanket me. So good.
Come to think of it, that swing set caused as many injuries as it did smiles.
Come to think of it, jumping off the swing set is always worth the hurt finger.
Come to think of it, this pudding has much the same healing qualities as my mom’s lap.
Milk Chocolate Pudding … holy wow! It’s super simple, brilliantly satisfying, and you can have it as is, or doll it up with lightly sweetened cream and easy homemade raspberry sauce. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Mother’s Day treats? Yea… I thought so.
Milk Chocolate Pudding
Gourmet, February 2007
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
4 ounces fine-quality milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking for two minutes. Mixture will be thick. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate pieces and vanilla extract. Stir until melted and smooth.
Transfer pudding to four or six small dishes. Cover the surface with wax paper, to prevent a skin from forming, and place in the fridge until cool and set, about two hours.
In the meantime, make the whipped cream and raspberry sauce.
To assemble, top the chocolate pudding with whipped cream and raspberry sauce and serve immediately. If you would like to assemble dessert and return it to the fridge, you may want to place the raspberry sauce beneath the whipped cream so it doesn’t bleed as much.
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar.
Whip heavy cream with an electric hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer until frothy. Add the sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Whip the cream slightly longer if you like a stiffer hold to your whipped cream. Place in the fridge to save for assembly.
Easy Raspberry Sauce
1/2 of a 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed
1 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons water
Place the thawed raspberries in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Add sugar and water and mix until the raspberries form a smooth puree. Transfer raspberry puree to a fine mesh strainer fit over a bowl. Press the puree through the strainer, until only the raspberry seeds and a bit of pump remain the the strainer, and a beautiful raspberry sauce is all that’s in the bowl.
Nastassia Johnson
This is just what i needed tonight! I was craving choc pudding and this looks like the perfect recipe, once again joythebaker to the rescue. You are definitely my go to site for recipes =) thanks!
Bree
Yay for pudding! I can’t wait to try this…though it isn’t really on my diet :(
Vanessa
Hi Joy, I read the interview with you on the Times website and found your blog. It’s such a pleasure to read and the pictures are a treat for the eyes. I adore raspberries and chocolate so this is an absolute MUST for me. Thanks so much.
Verbenabeth
Ok, this is absolutely delicious! My daughters spent 20 minutes cleaning out the pan with spoons and finally their hands. :) Good thing we’re washing hair today as they have it splattered there too!!! Thanks for another winner recipe, Joy.
Qte
first time in your blog and i love it!! amazingly cute and delicious! i love your presentation of these puddings. i will try to make these.. thanks for sharing..
Specs
Your presentation’s just awesome!
I found the sugar a bit on the lower side. It needed at least a tablespoon more.
The texture was… AMAZING. It was perfectly pillowy and very very easy to make. Overall 4/5 to myself for the effort and 5/5 to you for recipe and presentation! :D
unconfidentialcook
I hope someone makes this for me on Mother’s Day!
green ink
I love the jar presentation idea, so pretty!
I’m yet to find a pudding equivalent for the touch of my mother’s hand on my tired face, but I’m willing to give this a go!
mahek
hi
such breathtaking pictures…..
The recipes are great too, i would have definetly tried this one but in India all the ingredients are not easily available and so its a bit difficult to search for some
I feel lucky to have discovered your site today
keep up your good work
will write to you!!!!!
JasSethi
:)
i can totally agree with u.
i stumbled upon the site about a week ago.
i’ve been just finding and working on ALL the recepies Joy has to offer that can be made here in India! :D
its amazing how food simply unites the world!
fabelicious
You kinda sound like my son. Only mommy’s kiss could magically take the boo-boos away…lol. Looks yummy…I love the mini jars that you used…
MsGourmet
The chocolate pudding looks delicious but the jars are just gorgeous!
Maja
(oh, and the jars are adorable, too!!! … i’m serious about the transportation question, where they a picnic hit? :))
Maja
Sooo pretty! Why are they in the jar, are you gonna transport the prettines someplace else?
Wendy
OMG. Love them. I love the mini-jars too.
Dani
you are making me drool… seriously :)
Michelle
I liked the story about your mom but I love the look of those little jars of goodness! What a great presentation.
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes)
Mmmm pudding. Its so refreshing to see a recipe including milk chocolate, as it seems like dark chocolate is currently ruling the blogosphere, and I’m not a fan :-(
I love your presentation. What an awesome idea. I’m so copying it :P
Krystal
Looks breathtaking beautiful and the presentation is just adorable. I love your blog! My stomach just growled while reading it, it agrees!!!!!!!
Flapper Food
Pretty pictures, Joy. What kind and size jars did you use?
Tammy
A work of art, those jars are! As if the pudding needed any help being appetizing….now we have a treat for the eyes as well as the mouth. Great post!
ALyse
absolutely adorable, I love the colors of the dessert, not to mention the wonderful little jars :)
Donna
Those look so yummy and beautiful. I’ve got to know where you found those jars!!
Syndee
Joy! You’re so talented! When I grow up, I wanna be like you! (just too bad, I’m already a grown up now) haha! Cheers!
nora
awwww.. the jars look sooo cutee :) and the colour combination sooo pretty. cant wait to try this out! look sooo yummmy and delicious :D
Bernie
Oh golly! Chocolate Pudding! =D Though I’m wondering, would dark chocolate work with that combination?
Will also be adding you to my blogroll!
Amrita
Gorgeous…now I’m drooling on my keyboard!
Judy
I love your blog.
My brother and I also used to bail (that’s what we called it) out of our swings and see who could jump the farthest.
Lauren
This looks totally sinful!
Baking and Mistaking
Mmmmm pudding.
Debbi
Joy…..you’re killing me!!!!!
Chocolate and Toast
Okay, am I the only freak who *likes* pudding skin? Wasn’t there a Seinfeld episode where one of the characters (Kramer, I’m thinking) wanted to market a commercial pudding skin product?
I blame this all on my mom, I grew up with skin on every pudding.
Oh, and YUM(!), by the way! But that goes without saying for Joy’s recipes!
alice
These are absolutely stunning.. and your presentation is brilliant.
Frieda
Joy, I love your site! You have great recipes and fabulous photos! You have received the MEME award on my blog. Thanks so much for sharing your posts!
Ryanne Underhill
I love the jars! Where can I find them?
Kate
Lovely. I made chocolate pudding this weekend, but served it with whipped cream. The raspberry sauce is a stroke of genius!
Clare
Joy, I’ve been following you for awhile, and haven’t posted yet, but am absolutely in love with your blog! Just wanted to say ‘hi’ and ‘thank you’ for all of the delicious looking recipes and pictures.
lisa
Joy, You are always amazing us with ot only the food,but your presentation! PLEASE tell me who,what and where to get those jars. Thanks for you do.
Elyse
Aww, what a wonderful story!! There’s not much better than a mother’s lap. Although this chocolate pudding looks pretty darn close. What a fabulous treat, and I love it served in the mason jars. Oh, and that raspberry sauce looks just divine!
Lauren
Mmmm….raspberries and chocolate…..yummy! This looks quite tasty!
Verbenabeth
The whole family is chomping at the bit to make this wonderul looking recipe!!! They all want it in their lunchboxes. My question: where did you find such adorable jars???
:)
Jodi
such cute little jars!! :) looks yum
Sugar Duchess
Ahh, the swingset days. We also had an awesome rusty swingset in our backyard, but there was a peach tree close by which made jumping out pretty difficult. Bummer. Twenty years later, I still enjoy jumping :)
And holy cow! Pudding and raspberry sauce for Mothers Day! I like it.
Treehouse Chef
Wow! This is a great recipe and love the jars too!
Romy
Those are perfect for Mother’s Day. Chocolate and berries, yummmm…
Jen G
Oh those look so tasty!! Thanks for sharing!!
Dana
I love those jars! Both my boys are in the phase of only wanting to be comforted by me. One the one hand it’s cute. On the other it’s exhausting.
Mary Beth
I should know better than to read your posts right before lunch time! wow, so simple and so comforting! thanks for such a great idea!
Cristine
Beautiful presentation! Looks fantastic!
Dana McCauley
Love the presentation of the pudding in the little jars! So great for an outdoor party!
At our house, butterscotch pudding is the soothing treat of choice. In fact, I simplified my already easy recipe to work in the microwave so that my son can have it whenever he likes!
http://danamccauley.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/butterscotch-pudding
Kate
I, too, am a huge fan of those jars! Then again, I’m a big fan of any jars. They’re not just for jam anymore! I’m definitely trying this, even without the sweet containers.
Claire
I am a newbie to your blog, but holy hell do I love it. This particular post hit home – I am a pudding lover and was a bit of a
crybabysensitive kid. I will make these. My favorite part is your presentation. *Love* a million times over the use of jam jars.patsyk
Love how you served them up in the jars! How cute! I’m all about chocolate, and am convinced it can cure ANYTHING!
anna
Those are adorable! I love the idea of having them in little jars like that – little single-serving treats! The color is fantastic, too.
Erin
Those look great! My mom would love those for Mother’s Day. I have tons of frozen blackberries in my freezer from my MIL’s blackberry bushes. My FIL loves the blackberry sauce I make (over ice cream!), but I’m not sure how I’d feel about blackberries and chocolate pudding. But it might be worth a try!
I love your site. Everything is beautiful, and I love the stories you tell about each recipe!
codfish
Mmm, that raspberry sauce is making me a bit teary I want it so bad! :D
Perfect little jars.
Nirvana
these look sooooo pretty! :) i feel happy just looking at them
Digigirl
Yum! I love, love, love pudding and my boyfriend only likes milk chocolate. Seems like dark chocolate rules the recipe world right now, so this one is so welcome! I’ll definitely give it a try and make us both happy. Thanks for sharing!
Your little jars are adorable, too. Great pics, as always!
tracielee
ummm….yummm. Must make tonight!
Whitney
I LOVE the little jars. So Cute.