Dark Chocolate Pudding

I have made my share of custards, pastry cream, mousses, anglaise sauce, lemon curd, creme caramels, pot de cremes, and creme brulees. No...I am not trying to make you all envy my pastry prowess, I am telling you this to give you some perspective when I tell you...I have never made pudding! So, in the holiday spirit, I decided this was something I absolutely needed to do. 

I searched high and low for a perfect recipe and ended up with Cooking Light's "Creamiest Chocolate Pudding". The addition of dark chocolate was the outstanding factor between it and all the other recipes I riffled through, and the only substitution I made was Splenda in place of sugar. This pudding lives up to it's name, it is unbelievably creamy and smooth. Next time I make it (and yes, there most certainly will be a next time!) I will not change a thing.

[One thing to keep in mind is that replacing all the sugar with Splenda leads to a little less firm pudding]

1/2 cup granulated Splenda

3 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups 1 % milk

1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk

2 oz 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine Splenda, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt in a medium sauce pot

Gradually whisk in the 1% milk and evaporated milk until smooth

Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring with the whisk constantly

Reduce heat to medium and simmer, continuing to stir constantly, until the pudding has thickened

Remove from the heat and whisk in the dark chocolate and vanilla

Pour pudding into a deep bowl

Put plastic wrap on top of the pudding
(I hate pudding skin so I put the saran wrap so it is actually touching the entire surface of the pudding, this, and using a deep bowl, helps keep skin from forming)

Chill in the fridge for 4 hours

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top (be warned, it is addicting!)

Servings 6

Per serving (2/3 cup) 150 calories