Nutella Chocolate Pudding

If you are going to make Angel Food Cake, you will have lots of egg yolks. I'm just preparing you. So, how do you use up a dozen egg yolks. You can make scrambled eggs with the egg yolks which my daughter loves. Why has my daughter had all yolks scrambled eggs? Because I wanted egg white scrambled eggs. I am not a big fan of egg yolks and she loves them so it is the perfect balance. With a dozen egg yolks, many other dishes can be made. So, I decided to make some chocolate pudding. This pudding is so good. I think I caught the children licking their bowls or maybe it was my husband? This chocolate pudding is really delicious.

Nutella Chocolate Pudding
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate powder
4 tsp cornstarch
3 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cup milk, the sugar, and the cocoa powder.
2. Over medium high heat, bring the milk mixture to a simmer. 
3. Once simmering, remove from the heat. 
4. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup milk, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla extract, Nutella, and the salt.
5. While whisking, add a spoonful of the hot milk mixture to the Nutella mixture. 
6. While continuing to whisk, add another couple of spoonful of hot mixture to the Nutella mixture.
7. Gradually whisk in more hot milk to the Nutella mixture. 
8. Combine the Nutella mixture to the saucepan. 
9. Heat the mixture over medium heat while continuing to whisk until the pudding begins to boil.
10. Reduce the mixture to a simmer and continue to whisk. The mixture should begin to thicken within 2 or 3 minutes. 
11. Pour the pudding into 6 small cups and cover with plastic wrap.
12. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Recipe adapted by Tyler Florence. 

One year ago.................................I made a Tomato Basil Soup.
Two years ago...............................I made Bourbon Bacon Burger.
Three years ago.............................I made Banana Bread Cookies.
Four years ago...............................I made Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms.

Did you already know.....................
-In England, a savory pudding  are sausages like the black pudding. 
-In England, a sweet pudding is a similar to a sponge since it is steamed and thickened with eggs.
-In America, pudding is similar to a custard and a starch is used to thicken it.

Oreo Bars

Recently, my daughter tried some Oreo bars. She liked them so much that she brought some to my sister's house. When we headed home, she forgot her Oreo bars. Since it is a long drive from Maine to North Carolina, I told her that we weren't turning around but I would try making it. My sister kindly made sure the desserts didn't go to waste. We went through many photos. I thought the dessert looked like it was more pale than dark. My daughter said they were more dark than pale. Several of the photos she picked were for Oreo cheesecake bars but my sister said it didn't have a cheesecake taste. My daughter said they didn't taste very marshmallowy. (I was surprised to discover marshmallowy is an actual word and a great description.)  After many discussions, this was the recipe my daughter picked. After making this dessert, my daughter told me it didn't taste like the other dessert but was better. If I make these again, I will try chocolate pudding.

Oreo, Vanilla Pudding, & Chocolate Chip Bars
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3.4 oz. instant cheesecake pudding
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
12 oz. package miniature chocolate chips
16 Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies, Chopped roughly

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar and the sugar until fluffy.
4. Add the egg and vanilla.
5. Mix in the pudding until fluffy.
6. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just incorporated.
7. Fold in the chocolate chips and the chopped Oreo cookie pieces. 
8. Spread the batter evenly into the pan.
9. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. The center should be slightly underdone.
10. Allow to cool for several hours before cutting.

Recipe adapted from Hugs & Cookies xoxo.

One year ago.................................I made Chicken Pot Pie.
Two years ago...............................I made Chicken Cutlets.
Three years ago.............................I made Peanut Butter Cookies.

Did you already know...................
-There are over 950 miles between Maine to North Carolina.
-It takes about 15 hours to drive between Maine to North Carolina.
-From Maine to North Carolina, a direct flight would take just over 2 hours. 

Baked Hot Chocolate Pudding

Sometimes, I just want chocolate. It could be a hard day. It is cold outside. It could be there are craters on the moon. I can give you many reasons why I would like chocolate. Well, I decided to try this recipe for baked pudding. Since moving, I didn't realize I had no cocoa powder. I hadn't made it to the store and didn't check the cabinet so I figured hot chocolate would do. My family like pudding and chocolate so this was a good combination for us. It is very rich with a crunchy top and a smooth filling.

Baked Hot Chocolate Pudding
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 packages of hot chocolate mix
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Lightly butter a 2 quart baking dish or 6 small baking dishes.
3. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar for 5 minutes. 
5. Add the hot chocolate mix and flour. Mix until just combined.
6. Slowly, add the cooled butter and mix until just combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared dishes. 
8. Set the dishes into a larger baking dish.
9. Add hot water to the larger baking dish so it comes up to half way to the smaller baking dishes. Don't allow any water to get onto the batter. 
10. Bake the dish for 1 hour for the larger dish. (Check about 30 minutes for the smaller dishes.) The dish is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out 3/4 clean. The center should appear undercooked since it is a baked pudding. 
11. Allow to cool before serving.

Recipe adapted from Back to Basics cookbook by Barefoot Contessa.

Two years ago............................I made Bacon Fontina Panini.
Three years ago..........................I made Nutella Hot Chocolate.

Did you already know............
-The moon is shaped like a lemon. 
-The moon is larger than Pluto.
-The moon does have small quakes called moonquakes.

Black and White Pudding Squares

My son has been asking for me to make this dessert. He saw the recipe at the grocery store. On three separate occasions, my son would pick up another card. We would pick up the ingredients but Oreos do not last long at our house so we would have to wait until next time. Finally, we made it. It is very good. The puddings will still be soft and creamy. I wanted a little more flavor so I used Mint Oreos.

Black and White Pudding Squares
24 Mint Oreo Cookies, finely crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 package (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened and divided
1 package Vanilla Instant Pudding
2 cups cold skim milk, divided
1 package Chocolate Instant Pudding
Toppings: whip cream and crushed Oreo cookies.

Directions:

1. Combine the Oreo cookies with the melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, beat 4 oz. of the cream cheese with the vanilla pudding package and 1 cup of milk.
3. Spread the mixture over the Oreo crust.
4. In the bowl, beat 4 oz. of the cream cheese with the chocolate pudding package and 1 cup of milk. 
5. Spread over the vanilla pudding mixture.
6. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
7. Before serving, top with whip cream and crushed Oreo cookies.

Recipe adapted from Kraft recipe card but also found at Jell-O. 

One year ago...........................I made Banana Muffins.
Two years ago.........................I made Pickles.

My daughter assembled her piece

Did you already know................
-In 1897, Pearle Wait trademarked his Jell-O desserts. 
-In 1936, Jell-O introduced chocolate instant pudding.
-Jell-O brand is part of Kraft foods.

Coconut Pudding

Because it is suppose to be Spring.....................
Because there is snow still on the ground...........
Because it is my sister's birthday........................
Because my sister was born in Hawaii...............
Because Hawaii sounds good right now.............
I decided to try making some Hawaiian recipes like Haupia which is Coconut Pudding.  Haupia is suppose to set and should be able to cut into squares. I guess I should have let mine set just a little longer before removing from the container but it didn't matter since it still tasted good. My Mom remembered having it before and likes this dessert. I think if I was going to make it again then I may just try using cornstarch instead of the arrowroot which may make the difference. It is suppose to be the consistence of jello maybe next time. It is creamy and smooth with a nice hint of coconut.

Haupia aka coconut pudding
6 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp arrowroot
2 cup coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the arrowroot. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, add 1 cup of coconut milk, sugar, and arrowroot. 
3. Heat the mixture over low heat until thicken about 8 minutes.
4. Add the other 1 cup coconut milk and the whole milk.
5. Continue to heat the mixture until the mixture is thick about another 8 minutes.
6. Pour the mixture into an 8 inch pan until firm.

Recipe adapted from About. com. 

One year ago.........................................I made Peanut Butter Frosting.
Two years ago.......................................I made Sloppy Joes.

Did you already know............................
-Haupia is very popular at Luau.
-Haupia was originally made with arrowroot.
-Besides being served in squares, haupia can be a filling in cakes and pies.

Mint Chocolate Pudding

How many of you grew up on instant pudding? I'm raising my hand too! I still buy it but I no longer have to make it since the kids willingly make it. The first time I had homemade pudding there was a fine film on top. I thought it was the grosses thing. Pudding should be silky like the ones you buy in the stores. There is no film. So, I normally will cover my homemade pudding with the plastic touching the top to prevent the film from forming. I've made this pudding recipe before and it is wonderful. It is a nice indulgent without being pretentious. Since this time of year, I think of green and mint. I noticed I tend to always making something with mint around this time of year. So, I had to make my pudding with a faint hint of mint since my husband has asked for me to tone the mint flavor down a little. Lately, I guess I have been going a little over board.

Mint Chocolate Pudding
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp mint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt.
2. Slowly, whisk in the milk until smooth.
3. Heat the mixture over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Lower heat if the mixture begins to bubble.
4. Once the mixture begins to thicken, stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Lower the heat and allow the chocolate chips to melt for about 2 minutes.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Stir in the mint and vanilla extract.
8. Spoon the pudding into individuals cups or a large bowl and store in the refrigerator for 2 hours. 

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

One year ago........................I made Mint cheesecake pie.
Two years ago......................I made Irish Mint Chocolate Ice Cream.

Did you already know..........
-Pudding has been around since ancient times but tended to be made with sausage.
-In the 17th century, English would boil their savory and sweet puddings in a bag.
-With the use of custard powder and cornstarch, instant puddings could be made.

Superhero

Do you have a favorite Superhero? Superman is my husband's favorite. we have the collection of Smallville on DVD, all the seasons of Smallville. We have many Superman movies even Superman Returns. My youngest daughter's favorite Superhero is Supergirl. She is a Daddy's girl! My son's favorite is Spider-man (which is why our dog is named Parker). My oldest daughter says her favorite is Wolverine. Can you tell who my favorite Superhero is?

I saw this recipe for a pudding drink and I figured I would try it. My oldest did not like it since she isn't a big fan of pudding. My two little ones loved it. Since they are such a fan of this drink, I figured I would post it. I am going to post the original recipe but I used vanilla pudding. 

 White Hot Chocolate Drink

1 1/2 Tbsp white chocolate flavor instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cup milk
Toppings if desired: whip cream, crushed peppermint candies, or chocolate

Directions:

1. Mix the milk and pudding mix in a microwavable mug.
2. Microwave for 1 minute on high.
3. Top with the desired toppings. 

Recipe adapted from Disney Family Fun.

Did you already know........
-Wolverine and Spider-man are from Marvel comics.
-Superman and Wonder Woman are from DC comics.
-Superman was first published in 1983.