Mrs. Griffin's Chocolate Pudding

Remember that chocolate pudding your mother used to make? Yeah, this is it, but better, especially if your mother (like mine) made chocolate pudding from a box. Despite being raised on instant pudding, it is still my weak spot. Even when I swear I'm not getting dessert in a restaurant, if any type of pudding is on the menu, my resolve disappears. It is the ultimate comfort food.

This vintage recipe, from a Texas collection I recently purchased, uses not only milk, but also eggs and butter to enrich the pudding. Mrs. Griffin's children were mighty lucky to have this as an after-school snack. It's smooth and delicious. It is pretty easy to prepare (even though I screwed it up the first time -- details below.)

To do it right, combine the dry ingredients -- flour, sugar and cocoa -- in a saucepan.

Blend them together first (I didn't) and add the milk.

Add in the tempered egg mixture (instructions below), cook until thick and then add in the butter.

If you fail to temper the eggs as I did on my first try, you can still save the pudding by putting it through a sieve.  Those solid bits below are scrambled eggs -- something you definitely don't want in chocolate pudding!

My first attempt, and the subsequent "save the pudding" attempt, albeit successful,left quite a mess.

Production notes: Because the recipe is so vague, and to save you the fate I faced the first time I made it, I've written out more detailed instructions.

Mrs. Griffin's Chocolate Pudding

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 c. whole milk
4 Tbs. butter
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla

In a two-quart saucepan, combine sugar, flour and cocoa.  Add 1 1/2 cups milk and cook until slightly thickened, stirring almost continuously.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add 1/2 cup milk.
When the cooked mixture has thickened, slowly add it to the egg mixture, whisking all the while. (This is tempering, i.e., bringing the eggs to temperature, so as not to have scrambled eggs in your pudding.)
Pour this back into the saucepan and cook until a bit thicker.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
Pour through a sieve (to ensure there are no lumps) and into a bowl, ramekins or whatever and place in the refrigerator for at least four hours. If you don't want a skin on your pudding, place plastic wrap directly on the surface.
Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. And enjoy a taste of your childhood.