Nothing says “I Love You” Like Chocolate Pudding

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What other dessert brings out the kid in us more than chocolate pudding?  Sometimes Mama would make chocolate pudding after school, and my sister and I would watch her measure and prepare the ingredients, combine everything, and then cook until the dark mixture would suddenly thicken. She’d pour the molten chocolate pudding into those glass cups with thick ruffled edges and let us swipe our little fingers against the side of the pan to get every last bit. 

#LoveIsLove

When Mama made this original recipe it felt like a rich and creamy cup of love. This is a super short Valentine’s Day card to you and your loved ones. Love comes in all shapes and sizes. It seems clear to me that we need love and acceptance now, more than ever.

WW-Friendly Indulgence

Chocolate pudding is iconic — and I am going to let the recipe speak for itself. I have made a few small changes to be more WW-friendly. I’ve subbed out soy milk for cow’s milk. I am not dairy-free and do still use cow’s milk, but sometimes I am not fond of the soy flavor. In this instance, this rich double dose of chocolate masks any lingering soy tastes. I prefer bittersweet chocolate and it is also lower in points than semisweet or milk. Lastly, I’m topping these chocolate pudding cups with cacao nibs instead of whipped cream. (This has about 10 points per VERY satisfying 4-ounce portion.)

Thanks so much for reading. It’s been a hard year for our heads, homes, and hearts. I hope this little bit of sweetness will bring you joy.

Bon Appétit, Y’all

Virginia Willis

PS To read more about chocolate check out this blog post on the French version of pudding, Chocolate Pots de Creme.

Chocolate Pudding

Makes 5 4-ounce portions
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: chocolate, chocolate pudding, dairy free pudding, pudding cups, ww-friendly

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 3/4 cups unsweetened soy milk or 1% low-fat milk
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (60 to 70 percent cocoa) (about 1/2 cup)
  • 5 teaspoons cacao nibs for garnish

Instructions

  • Whisk to combine the 4 ingredients in a medium, heavy saucepan; stir with a whisk. Gradually add milk stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute or until thick.
  • Remove from heat; add chocolate, stirring until melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
  • Pour 1/2 cup pudding into each ramekin. Let set just slightly and garnish with cacao nibs. Serve immediately. (Or cover with a piece of plastic wrap flush to the surface of the pudding and chill until cold.) It’s good warm or cold!

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Virginia Willis

Georgia-born French-trained Chef Virginia Willis’ biography includes making chocolate chip cookies with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, foraging for berries in the Alaskan wilderness, harvesting capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano in Sicily, and hunting for truffles in France. She is talent and chef-instructor for the digital streaming platform Food Network Kitchen. Her segments feature authentic and innovative Southern cooking. She was the celebrity chef at the Mansion at Churchill Downs for the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby. Virginia has spoken at SXSW, cooked for the James Beard Foundation, and beguiled celebrities such as Bill Clinton, Morgan Freeman, and Jane Fonda with her cooking — but it all started in her grandmother’s country kitchen. Recently, her work has been inspired by her weight loss success story, Virginia has lost 65# and kept it off for over 2 1/2 years! “If a French-trained, Southern chef can do it, you can, too.” She is the author of Fresh Start; Secrets of the Southern Table; Lighten Up, Y’all; Bon Appétit, Y’all; Basic to Brilliant, Y’all; Okra; and Grits. Lighten Up, Y’all won a James Beard Foundation Award of Excellence in the Focus on Health Category. Lighten Up, Y’all as well as her first cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all, were finalists in the Best American Cookbook for the International Association of Cookbook Awards and were also named by the Georgia Center of the Book as “Books Georgians Should Read.” She is the former TV kitchen director for Martha Stewart Living, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree; has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants; and traveled the world producing food stories – from making cheese in California to escargot farming in France. She has appeared on Food Network’s Chopped, CBS This Morning, Fox Family and Friends, Martha Stewart Living, and as a judge on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. She’s been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, People Magazine, Eater, and Food52 and has contributed to Eating Well, GRLSQUASH, Culture, Garden & Gun, and Bon Appétit, and more. The Chicago Tribune praised her as one of “Seven Food Writers You Need to Know.” Her legion of fans loves her down-to-earth attitude, approachable spirit, and traveling exploits. Her culinary consulting company, Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc specializes in content creation, recipe development, culinary editorial and production services, cookbook writing, media training, spokesperson and brand representation, and public speaking. Virginia is on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Blue Ribbon Task Force, the Atlanta Community Food Bank Advisory Board, as well as the Community Farmers Market Advisory Board. She is a food and hunger advocate for No Kid Hungry and a premier member of the No Kid Hungry Atlanta Society. She a member of The James Beard Foundation, Chef’s Collaborative, Georgia Organics, and Southern Foodways Alliance.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Cheryl Purser

    Yum! Pudding looks delicious!

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