Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Pudding!

"The Matchmaker" Thornton Wilder's play turned movie later turned musical, stars Shirley Booth, Anthony Perkins, Robert Morse and Shirley MacLaine.

My sister and I laughed in giddy delight as kids, watching Anthony Perkins and Robert Morse, two lowly clerks, searching for adventure.  And the code word for when they found it? "Pudding!"

I suspect you think puddings are dull and pedestrian things.  If so, you've been eating the instant version.  Here's a recipe, dark, sweet, silky smooth, with all the promise of a sweet adventure.

Double Chocolate Pudding
adapted from Home Desserts by Richard Sax

In a mixing bowl blend two tablespoons corn starch, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons high quality cocoa powder (Note: okay, I don't sniff at any chocolate bar, I accept all, from Hershey's to Valhrona, but your cocoa's gotta be good.  No, better than good, it's gotta be great.  Break the bank, dole it out to yourself in your mochas, trust me, it's worth it.)  Whisk in two egg yolks, a whole egg, then 1/4 cup cold milk.

Over a medium flame bring 2 1/4 cups whole milk and a 1/4 of sugar to boil.  Remove from heat.  Whisk half a cup of the hot milk into the chocolate mixture, then another half a cup, then another.  Return to saucepan, and gently bring to a boil, whisking all the time. Gently boil for two minutes, by then the corn starch and eggs will have wrought their magic, making the liquid into a thick pudding.

Remove from heat, add 5 ounces semi sweet chocolate (I use chocolate chips) and two tablespoons of butter.  Whisk well.  Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pour into a container to cool. (I will admit to eating it warm, out of the saucepan). 

In Connecticut the Jewish delis top their puddings with a splash of half and half.
I recommend it highly.









12 comments:

  1. Yummm! I need to pick up some cocoa powder today on my way home from work . . .

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  2. Someone told me how to rebuild a Ford engine once. Yeah, it was that kind of date. But in any case, I think a Ford engine is easier than this pudding.

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  3. B: Yay! AH:It's worth it--really--but you can always depend on the kindness of neighbors---

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  4. Sounds like a plan.

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  5. Any pudding in a pinch. Anything on butterscotch?

    When I first started dating Mr V, a high school girlfriend with an inability to edit her thoughts, said he looked like Anthony Perkins in Psycho.

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  6. Well, of course, I told you my moment of fame was playing the lead in The Matchmaker in high school. It's just embarrassing that that is still a big deal to me.

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  7. Margaret: Very few of us can claim being the lead in a high school play. It IS still a big deal. PA: I LOVE BUTTERSCOTCH! My son's on this crazy regimen where he eats the egg whites and leaves me the yolks, which is what got me started on the pudding craze. The recipe I tried for butterscotch was meh--so when I find the right one I'll let you know.

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  8. Did you have to sing Margaret? My sister was the understudy for the lead in Guys and Dolls. Her romantic interest opposite her was that gawd awful Fox news reichwinger Greg Jarrett. He told everyone she was a terrible kisser. Shit shows up early

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  9. After buying the cocoa powder, I didn't make this until today (for Valentine's dinner!). It's amazing . . . . now I need to let it cool and not eat it all by myself.

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