oh bring us some figgy pudding!

Ok this is not figgy pudding.

But I couldn't resist how Christmasy it sounds. 

Although I think if it came down to it, I could resist the figgy pudding itself.

But we are going to talk pudding.

I collect old cookbooks. I love them! They're so cute, and some can be quite hilarious.

I have a stack of old cookbooks sitting in my kitchen, and I've never actually made anything out of them....so I figured why not?

I think I'll try a recipe out of them every now and then--add my own tweaks, and maybe we'll find some new (old) favorites. 

So I chose pudding. 

I found a recipe for chocolate pudding, and made a few adjustments,

hoping it would taste like a big bowl of chocolate Christmas. 

It did.

Chocolate and Peppermint Pudding

recipe adapted from the 1941 (reprinted in 1950)  Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

serves 4

1/2 cup sugar

2 TBS cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups milk (I used skim milk and it was INCREDIBLY rich. If you dare to use whole milk your head might explode)

2 egg yolks (slightly beaten)

1 oz good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract

crushed candy canes for garnish

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.

Slowly mix in milk. 

Cook over medium heat (continue stirring), until mixture comes to boil. 

Boil for one minute (still stirring)

Slowly stir half the mixture into the egg yolks, and then back into the saucepan on the stove.

Boil for one minute. 

Remove from heat and add in chopped chocolate and peppermint extract. 

This is where the pudding is to be "molded", you know--poured into your jello molds. 

Well I guess I fail Basic Wifery 101, because I don't have jello molds. 

So I poured them into plain old bowls.

oh heavens!

Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

top with candy cane pieces and enjoy!

***bonus points if you DO have a jello mold!