NiftyFifty

90% of the time when I make something I post it on Facebook to make my friends jealous of my homemade bread, chocolate cake, rice crispies that they all love, and now this pudding. Well this pudding was first interpreted as cake and then something else that doesn’t even make sense. And when I posted it saying how they are all jealous of it, I put “toasted chocolate” instead of “toasted coconut”. Yeah.

I’m generally not one for chocolate but I will eat chocolate pudding and mousse. I just like how the chocolate isn’t as pronounce in those desserts. Plus pudding is really easy to make, and no I’m not talking about putting a package of chemicals flavored by chocolate into some milk and stirring. Good pudding is just milk, sugar, corn starch, and flavorings.

Before I even saw this recipe I thought I could just make any old chocolate pudding recipe into a coconut version by subbing some coconut milk for some milk. That’s pretty much what you do in this recipe. There really isn’t anything surprising in this recipe, besides the flavor.

…and toasted coconut.

Notes: I used a 13.5oz can of coconut milk and it worked fine; I was pretty sure the .5oz wouldn’t make a difference. I also subbed corn starch for the arrowroot powder because I didn’t feel like going to the health food store (but will next time to see if there is a difference). I didn’t add the curry powder. And finally, the chocolate I used was chocolate mossels so it wasn’t the best quality chocolate, but still tasted good. I can only imagine what it would taste like with good quality chocolate.

Chocolate Coconut Pudding
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 14-ounce can of coconut milk (lite is fine), divided
3 tablespoons sugar
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup arrowroot powder, sifted
1 teaspoon raz el hanout spice blend or curry powder, (optional)
3 tablespoons alkalized dutch-cocoa powder, sifted
1 3.5-ounce bar semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoons 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 seperate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, arrowroot powder, spice blend (or curry powder), 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 arrowroot mixture, creating a slurry. Turn down the heat to the very lowest setting. Now drizzle the arrowroot 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 and a tiny pinch of spices (orcurry powder).