DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING with STRAWBERRY ROSES

Today is National Chocolate Pudding Day, and what could be better than Chocolate Pudding with Strawberry Roses? Here's a recipe from Driscoll's, my favorite berry people. Being a rose aficionado (I have over 150 rose bushes in my garden), it's right up my alley, or should I say garden? The technique for creating strawberry roses is awesome and easy. It really elevates the chocolate pudding both in beauty and taste.

These Strawberry Roses are beautiful to put on top of Strawberry Short Cake, too. There are all kinds of uses. Here's the recipe and instructions for Dark Chocolate Pudding with Strawberry Roses.

DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH STRAWBERRY ROSES

Pudding 
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping
1 package Driscoll's Strawberries (16 ounces)
8 fresh mint leaves

Directions

Pudding
Melt Chocolate.
Whisk together 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch.
Bring remaining 1- 1/2 cups milk, sugar, cocoa, and salt just to a simmer over medium heat. Stir cornstarch mixture then add to milk mixture in saucepan and bring to boil, whisking constantly. Cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
Spoon into 4 glasses.
Cover surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Chill.

Topping 
Before serving, hull 16 strawberries by removing the green calyx.
Take 4 strawberries and cut top off of strawberries. These strawberries will be used as the center for the roses.
For the remaining strawberries, slice into 1/8: sections to use for the rose petals.
Begin arranging sliced strawberries around pudding making sure ends of slices are facing out and extend slightly beyond rim of glass.
After first circle of strawberries is placed, begin making second circle of strawberries but position slightly more forward toward the center of glass.
Continue with third layer.
Once finished add cut strawberry to center and garnish with mint leaves.
Serve immediately.

Chocolate Pudding Cake: National Chocolate Pudding Day

Today is Chocolate Pudding Day. I just love this old-fashioned Chocolate Pudding Cake. This cake actually has two layers--a moist chocolate cake and a thick chocolate pudding sauce. The recipe has been around for a long time and is a precursor to Molten Chocolate Cake. The first recipe is incredibly easy--kind of a chemistry experiment. No need for the mixer. You can do everything quickly by hand. Both recipes are pretty simple and great to make with kids! Always good to have a choice. Chocolate Pudding Cake is the perfect recipe for a great dessert. And, there are many fun variations--and just as many terrific toppings. Ice cream is #1 for me, but Bourbon Whipped Cream would be great, too!

1. Chocolate Pudding Cake

Ingredients
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Directions
Sift dry ingredients together. Mix milk, egg, and oil together in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in the big bowl. Stir until smooth. Add vanilla to bowl. Pour mixture into baking dish (1 ½ - 2 quart casserole dish). Mix together additional dry ingredients (brown and white sugars and  cocoa) and pour on top of everything already in the baking dish.
Pour boiling water on top of everything. DO NOT STIR.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes.

2. Chocolate Pudding Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick cooking spray,  8 inch (20 cm) square baking dish.

Pudding Sauce Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 teaspoon instant coffee (powder or granules)
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake Ingredients: 
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup (25 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 large egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pudding Sauce Directions: 
Stir instant coffee into boiling water (or freshly brewed hot coffee.)
In separate bowl, stir together white sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder.

Cake Directions: 
In bowl, sift flour with cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
In another large bowl, whisk the egg with the melted butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture until combined. Spread batter evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.
Sprinkle sugar/cocoa mixture evenly over cake batter. Gently pour coffee mixture over cocoa mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes or until cake is puffed and just beginning to pull away from sides of the pan. Remove from oven and place on wire rack.

Chocolate Pudding Day: Retro Chocolate Pudding Ads & Recipes

Today is Chocolate Pudding Day! Jell-O brand chocolate pudding was a staple at our house when I was growing up--not the instant (in these ads), but the longer cooking pudding (5 minutes or so) that we made with whole milk. Funny. I can remember the special 'pudding' pot we used. Not quite a flat bottom, don't ask why, and it had little handles on both sides. I think it must have been the upper part of an ancient doubleboiler. In any case, it was a 'dairy' pot, used only for pudding. You had to stir the pudding constantly to prevent a 'skin' forming on top. I personally liked the texture of that skin, and when I was in charge of making the pudding, I allowed it to coagulate.

Today I make pudding from scratch with high quality ingredients--always the best chocolate. If you'd like to do that, check out this Creme de la Creme Chocolate Pudding recipe from mystery author Bobbi Mumm.

Enjoy these Retro Jell-O Pudding Ads. Be sure to scroll down through these Ads for the "official" Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Pie recipe.  If you want to make a sensational Silk Pie from scratch, try this recipe for Gone to Heaven Chocolate Pie. Add 'real' whipped cream.

Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Pie
from the Jell-O Website

1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
Make It

BEAT pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min.; spoon half into crust.
STIR 1 cup COOL WHIP into remaining pudding; spoon over pudding layer in crust.
TOP with remaining COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 3 hours.

P is for Pudding: Retro Chocolate Pudding Ads & Recipes

Today is National Chocolate Pudding Day, and yes, you can make your own pudding from scratch. I usually do. But it's amazing what a revolutionary powdered chocolate pudding made on the American food landscape. 

According to Jell-O history, chocolate was introduced into the Jell-O family early on but discontinued in 1927. In 1936, chocolate returned to the Jell-O lineup, this time as an instant pudding made with milk. Just an FYI, today there are several Jell-o chocolate pudding flavors including Devil's Food, Double Chocolate, Chocolate Fudge and Oreo Cookies 'n Creme.

Jell-O Pudding in the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s jumped on the advertising bandwagon of this easy yet versatile dessert. I was especially taken by the Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Ad campaign of the 60s. So for your pleasure on this yummy holiday, I give you the Jell-O "Now, pudding is..." Each advertisement includes a recipe, too. Advertisements appeared in Life Magazine.

Now, pudding is cheesecake: May 26, 1967

Now, pudding is pop: June 23, 1967

Now, pudding is napoleons: April 28, 1967
 

Now, pudding is torte: September 15, 1967

Now, pudding is eclairs: January 19, 1968

Now, pudding is fudge: March 8, 1968

Now, pudding is Boston Cream Pie: March 29, 1968

Now, pudding is brownies: October 11, 1968

Now, pudding is Bavarian: July 12, 1968

National Chocolate Pudding Day: Hot Chocolate Pudding Cups

June 26 is National Chocolate Pudding Day. I've always loved chocolate pudding, even from a box mix, but this tastes soooo much better. This great recipe comes from Ghirardelli. I'll be having a Ghirardelli contest next week, so be sure to stop back for that. In the meantime, if you have some chocolate at home, try this hot chocolate pudding recipe. As always you can use any chocolate you have, but since this recipe is from Ghirardelli, I usually use Ghirardelli chocolate!

Hot Chocolate Pudding Cups


Ingredients:
10 ounces (1bag) Ghirardelli Gourmet 58% Cacao Semi-Sweet (I've used 72 %) Chocolate for baking
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
whipped cream
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Directions:
Position rack in middle of oven and heat to 350° F.
Arrange 6 oven-proof six-ounce coffee cups or mugs in a baking or roasting pan.
Melt chocolate and butter in bowl set over simmering water, whisking occasionally until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
Stir eggs and sugar together in separate bowl over simmering water until warm to the touch. With handheld electric beater, beat 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
With spatula, fold eggs into chocolate mixture until light and smooth.
Spoon batter into cups.
Add enough very hot water to the baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until tops of puddings are no longer shiny.
Serve warm, topped with a dollop of whipped cream.


Photo: Ghirardelli

Chocolate Pudding Day

June 26 is Chocolate Pudding Day. In this economy, pudding as we know it in the U.S. can be very economical. Just open a box and mix or pull off the top and eat. General Foods (Jell-O) introduced chocolate pudding mix in 1934 as "Walter Baker's Dessert". It was renamed "Jell-O Chocolate Pudding" in 1936.

There are two types of chocolate pudding: a boiled then chilled (like a custard set with starch) which is popular in the U.S, Canada; and a steamed/baked version similar to cake that is popular in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Not to confuse you, but in the U.K. pudding is also a word that is often used to refer to any dessert, as in "We had a strawberry tart for pudding."

The American version of chocolate pudding is a variation on chocolate custard, with starch used as thickener rather than eggs. Of course, I've seen recipes using egg yolks that still has that creamy consistency. Always a variation.

Pudding was thought of as an appropriate food for the sick and children, as well as dessert. Many were the days when I was a child that chocolate (and occasionally vanilla) pudding was given to us when sick. Even the mixes took time. There was water and sugar? to add, and then mix, heat and cool. A few steps less, but still a production. I liked my chocolate pudding hot right out of the pot and loved to scrape the bowl and eat the hot pudding. Here's a recipe for easy chocolate pudding.

Easy Recipe for Chocolate Pudding

1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
2 1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. cocoa (or 2-3 oz. bittersweet/70% chocolate)--or a mix of both
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt in saucepan. Stir in milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Stir and cook 3 minutes longer; stir in vanilla and cook for another minute or two. Cool in refrigerator uncovered for a few hours.

Pudding: An American Comfort Food

Photo is not mine. Haven't made pudding in awhile, but aim to do so soon.