Every year around this time in the lead up to Valentine’s Day chocolate becomes the flavour of the day. Not that it shouldn’t be the flavour of our days, all the time. I would back that! Chocolates and red roses have been linked together as an easily identifiable expression of love. To me love is best expressed by creating something meaningful; most of the time in the form of food. This year I am resurrecting my mom’s chocolate pudding recipe. Her recipe became so popular amongst our family friends that decades later people still remember it.
Rekindling memories of my mother
My guess is that in the last few years my mother probably didn’t make this pudding. My last memory of watching her make it slightly hazy, probably from high school. It was one of those things she’d whip up at short notice to either fulfil our craving or her own. She had a very strong sweet tooth. Something she’s decidedly passed on to my brother and I.
After her passing, I realized this is one of those recipes that wasn’t documented. Her green diary (which I mention sometimes) was a reliable source for referencing trusted recipes. But a creative one like this was just tweaked each time it was made. Over time I had in fact almost forgotten about it, until in december 2018 a friend recommended that I try Trader Joe’s Belgian Chocolate Pudding, if I hadn’t. I did and the first bite sent me back through a wormhole of memories depositing me right next to my mom in our kitchen in Jodhpur (where we lived for over a decade) overseeing her making her famous chocolate pudding.
Very few foods, especially mass produced shelf items, conjure such visceral images in my mind. This one did and I knew I wanted to recreate the same magic, my mother’s way.
Love and one more secret ingredient
Housewives’ tricks or to be politically correct, since my mother was a working woman, home cooks’ tricks can often seem like just a bunch some higgledy piggledy mix of ingredients. Well, the beauty of it is that these often work. And working backwards one can also trace why. The secret to making a thick, creamy chocolate pudding is bread. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, BREAD. From thickening soups to comforting bread and milk for a warm night in, bread is an understated ingredient that works wonders. Read on to find out how it works in my mom’s chocolate pudding.
How to make My Mom’s Chocolate Pudding:
This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.
Total Preparation Time: 30-40 minutes, overnight to chill.
Inactive prep: 10 minutes, Active cooking: 30 minutes.
Chill overnight or 5-6 hours before serving.
Ingredients:
- Milk (whole or 2%) – 2 cups,
- Cocoa powder (unsweetened) – 4 tbsp or more to taste,
- Sugar – 6 tbsp or more to taste,
- Bread slices (white or nut free) – 8,
- Salt – a pinch (optional),
- Malt and Cocoa based milk flavouring (Ovaltine/Bournvita) – 2 to 4 tbsp (optional),
- Honey – 2 tbsp (optional).
Method:
First, measure all ingredients and have them ready to use. Cut off the edges of bread and then cube them into one inch square. I would recommend using plain white bread or whole wheat bread that doesn’t have nuts or seeds. Any nuts or seed will affect the consistency of the pudding and make it grainy instead of smooth.
Four Simple Ingredients Bread being sliced Cubed and ready to use
Put the milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan and gently bring it to a simmer. Then reduce the heat and add sugar, coffee, cocoa and salt, and mix in. Honey is optional. I added about 2 tablespoons. I recall that mom would often also add malted milk mixes such as Bournvita to the pudding. These malt and cocoa milk flavourings (a common brand is Ovaltine) add an additional layer of flavour and sweetness. This is entirely optional. I skipped it in my resurrection. Salt is my addition to the recipe. The effect of my proclivity for Sea Salt Caramel Chocolates!
Turn off the heat once everything has been mixed in.
I have realized that heating milk after cocoa has already been mixed in burns the cocoa powder which then tastes bitter and chalky.
Bread in the milk mix Bread soaking up the milk Broken down bread – almost porridge like.
Next, add the bread. Mix it in and let it soak in the milk for sometime. Then using a fork or a potato masher break it down. By the end of this step it should look like a really thick bread and milk mash. I used 6 slices of whole wheat bread without any seeds. This produced a soft set pudding. For a thicker pudding, add another slice or two. But make sure the bread you are using is neutral and sweet, not salty or full of funky flavours.
Blending in the food processor Whisking to avoid a skin on top Ready to chill
Let the mix cool down, then blend it with an immersion blender or in the food processor. Pour into a bowl. If the pudding is still warm, whisk it every few minutes until it cools completely. This prevents the formation of a skin on the top.
Refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours or overnight. Serve chilled with berries and a dusting of confectioners sugar.
My Mom’s Easy Chocolate Pudding – Comforting and Elegant
Voila! A simple, elegant dessert is ready to wow people anytime you need or just for a comforting finish to your meal.
I hope it will comfort you as it comforted me and become a part of your memories. ❤️
- Milk (whole or 2%) – 2 cups,
- Cocoa powder – 4 tbsp or more to taste,
- Sugar – 6 tbsp or more to taste,
- Bread slices (white or nut free) – 8,
- Salt – a pinch (optional),
- Malt and Cocoa based milk flavouring (Ovaltine/Bournvita) – 2 to 4 tbsp (optional).
- First, measure all ingredients and have them ready to use.
- Cut off the edges of bread and then cube them into one inch square.
- Put milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan and gently bring it to a simmer.
- Then reduce the heat, add sugar, coffee, cocoa and salt and mix in.
- Turn off the heat once everything has been mixed in.
- Next, add the bread, mix and let it soak in the milk for sometime.
- Then using a fork or a potato masher break it down, it should look like a really thick bread and milk mash.
- Let the mix cool down, then blend it with an immersion blender or in the food processor.
- Pour into a bowl.
- Refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
- Serve chilled with berries and a dusting of confectioners sugar.
- I would recommend using plain white bread or whole wheat bread that doesn’t have nuts or seeds.
- Adding ovaltine or bournvita to the milk is optional.
- Salt is also optional.
- I have realized that heating milk with cocoa already mixed in burns the cocoa powder which then tastes bitter and chalky.
- Increase bread slices for a thicker pudding.
- If the pudding is still warm, whisk it every few minutes until it cools completely to prevent the formation of a skin on top.