Double Chocolate Pudding: Personal Luxury

For all the moms who need a little "me" time...

I rarely cook for ME. Generally, I think about other people - what they want, what they might enjoy, what they need to eat so they don't make a fuss, but I don't really ever cook for me. I don't even bake for me. I just make things to learn or to give, but never purely for my own indulgence.

Tonight, I made something just for me. I made something I truly wanted to consume on my own and enjoy. I've actually been planning this little culinary treat for a while, after I saw the recipe on Martha Stewart, and finally did something about it. I bought myself a few bars of Valrhona chocolate from Trader Joes (good deal at $2.99 for 3.5 oz) and made myself some chocolate pudding - a really luxurious one, with tons of flavor, body and richness. This is not your standard jello pudding. This is something on a totally different level. My, oh my, was it a lovely treat. My, oh my, did I enjoy myself. My, oh my, I scraped my cup clean. It was a personal time of reflection, losing myself in richness and sin, and tasting the happiness that sometimes, only chocolate can give.

It is also, insanely easy. It requires a bit of prep, but with a few great ingredients you can have your own delicious pudding for your own rejuvenation. Do it soon, because for sure, we all need a little "me" time.

Double Chocolate Pudding from Martha Stewart.com (Everyday Food)
Serves 4. (or just yourself 4 times)

Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa (spooned and leveled) (used Ghiradelli)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, plus shavings (used Valrhona Dark bittersweet and some Valrhona Semisweet)

Directions

1. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks.
2. Whisking constantly, heat over medium until the first large bubble sputters, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Remove from heat; immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Add butter, vanilla, and chocolate; stir until smooth.
3. Place plastic wrap on surface of pudding (to prevent a skin from forming); chill at least 3 hours (or up to 3 days). To serve, whisk until smooth; divide among serving cups, and garnish with shavings.
   

Printable recipe

The preparation looks like this:

Fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl.

Dry ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Egg yolks in a bowl.

Chocolate chopped.