Coconut Chocolate Pudding

Tim had something or other to do the other night, so after finally straightening up the house now that we've been back from Jersey for a week, I decided to make some pudding that I've been threatening to make forever. We also had some mini graham cracker crumb pie crusts that we had bought so we could find something to put in them, so I figured this would be perfect.

The pudding turned out AMAZING. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pull it off, but it was relatively easy. I had to go out and buy special cocoa for this project, as it calls for dutched cocoa, or cocoa processed with alkali. The grocery store didn't carry it here, but it might be in grocery stores elsewhere. Just check the ingredients to make sure it states: cocoa processed with alkali.

This website shows the original recipe & instructions:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/coconut-chocolate-pudding-recipe.html

I didn't modify this much at all, except I didn't have lite coconut milk so I used regular. Probably tasted better (richer) that way anyway! I also didn't use curry powder, but used a mix of ingredients suggested by one of the reviewers

Coconut Chocolate Pudding Recipe

1 14-ounce can of coconut milk, divided
3 tbsp sugar
scant 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cornstarch, sifted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili powder
3 tablespoons alkalized dutch-cocoa powder, sifted
3.5-ounce Ghiradellhi bittersweet chocolate chips (or any dark chocolate)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a dry skillet

Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt (just) to a simmer over low heat.

While that is heating, in a separate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, cornstarch, spices, and cocoa powder. It should look like a chocolate frosting.

When the coconut milk and sugar mixture has started simmering take about 1/4 cup of it and whisk it little by little into the cornstarch mixture, creating a slurry. Turn down the heat to the very lowest setting. Now drizzle the cornstarch slurry mixture into the simmering pan of coconut milk whisking vigorously all the while. Keep whisking until the pudding comes back up barely to a simmer and thickens up a bit, about a minute.

Remove the saucepan from heat, continue whisking while it is cooling for about a minute. Now whisk in the chocolate and vanilla. Keep stirring until the pudding is smooth. Place in a refrigerator to chill thoroughly. To prevent a skin from forming press plastic up against the surface of the pudding. Serve dusted with the coconut flakes.

Serves six.

This was really rich, almost like a heavy mousse (or maybe not like mousse, I don't know that I've actually ever had mousse). It wasn't anything like pudding that I've had before, but it was good! Send me a comment if you have any questions & I'll be glad to try to answer them!