Low-Fat Chocolate Pudding

From Cook's Country  --  February/March 2005

Why this recipe works:

We wanted our Low-Fat Chocolate Pudding recipe to feature rich chocolate flavor and a thick, creamy texture—and many fewer calories than traditional recipes. We found that a blend of bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder reduced the fat level and maximized our pudding’s flavor, while cooking the chocolate from the start—rather than stirring it in at the end—intensified the chocolate’s flavors. We also found that whole milk thickened with cornstarch came close to approximating the heavy cream used in most chocolate pudding recipes.

Traditional homemade chocolate pudding has 581 calories, 34 grams of fat, and 202 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. Our Low-Fat Chocolate Pudding has 286 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 21 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.

Serves 4
To reduce fat and calories further, substitute 2 percent milk for the whole milk; the pudding will have a slightly looser consistency. Don't use 1 percent or skim milk; in our opinion, the pudding won't be worth eating. Once the pudding comes to a boil, make sure to simmer it for a full 2 minutes to cook out the flavor of the cornstarch. To learn more about cocoa powder, see related tasting.

Ingredients

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons cocoa, preferably Dutched
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate over double boiler or in microwave. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk together cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add milk all at once and whisk to incorporate. Whisk in melted chocolate.
3. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly with heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon and making sure to scrape edges of pan, for 2 minutes. (Mixture will become thick and glossy.)
4. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour pudding through fine-mesh strainer and into heatproof bowl, pushing gently with spatula or spoon and leaving any solids in strainer. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled. (Pudding will keep for up to 2 days.) Gently stir pudding before transferring to individual bowls and serving.