Chocolate Pudding

If any of you are like me every once in a while you have a chocolate craving that just won't go away. I guarantee this will take care of it. Opening a box of instant chocolate pudding is much easier but nowhere near as tasty. This should come with a a warning, "once you've tried this you may never want to take the easy way out again". I don't mean to sound like this is hard, because it's not. It just takes a little longer than instant.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING 

 (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup sugar

*4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

*1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon corn starch

*1/8 teaspoon salt

*3 cups whole milk (or 2%)

*2 tablespoons butter

*1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

~In a medium saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tablespoons cocoa, 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

~Place over medium heat, and stir in 3 cups whole milk.

~Bring to a boil, cook, stir with a whisk constantly.

~Stir until mixture thickens enough to coat the metal whisk (if your whisk is not metal, dip a mental spoon in it).

~Remove from heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

~Stir until butter is melted.

~Pour into bowl or serving dishes.

~Let cool and serve warm or chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Helpful Hint: 

 ~Place plastic wrap directly over pudding while it cools. This prevents the pudding from forming a skin on top of it.