Proof of the pudding is in the eating

I realized this week that I've spent my life not making puddings much. When I used to, I used packaged pudding mix, the variation being whether the packages were 'instant' or not.

I was looking at some website about easy chocolate desserts and came across a recipe for pudding; tried it; liked it a lot.

http://www.oprah.com/food/Warm-Chocolate-Pudding

Here it is:
Servings: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups low-fat or non-fat milk
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In a medium, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stir together sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch. Turn heat to medium high. Gradually add milk and stir constantly until pudding begins to boil and thicken, about five minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low, add bittersweet chocolate and continue heating five minutes more until pudding is completely thickened. Remove from heat, let cool five minutes.

Add vanilla and pour into pudding cups. Eat immediately or refrigerate.

From the book Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen

So, the other day I decided to make it again, this time doubling the recipe.
Plus, for the milk, I used two cups of half and half mixed with two cups of already brewed coffee.
Besides the vanilla, I added some almond flavoring.
Note - both times I didn't add the bittersweet chocolate, since I didn't have any around.

Wow, is that good, and still very easy.


So, I've been looking up pudding recipes.

Soon I'll try butterscotch.............
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/02/a-butterscotch/

and soon I'll be getting chubby again.


How about you? Any favorite puddings or their cousins, custards?

I don't know a thing about christmas puddings. I'd read a recipe at some point, perhaps for a toffee pudding, and at the time it sounded too complicated, but maybe I'm wrong about that.