Joy's Chocolate Pudding

Right now I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo. Unabridged. I know that smacks of insanity, but it's a good insanity--one that makes me happy. It's a ridiculously long book, weighing in at a hefty 1462 pages. I'm currently on page 1367, which can only mean one thing:

I've got Monte Cristo on the brain.

Today I was making some oh-so-delightful chocolate pudding from Joy the Baker, and my brain was in, not pudding mode, but Monte Cristo mode. I just finished a portion of the book where there's a lot of poison flying around, and people dying, and other people being really paranoid about the poison flying around.

So, I'm very innocently making pudding this morning, and I suddenly find myself feeling a little nervous. Gosh, what if some evil person in a cloak sneaks into my kitchen while I'm out (at the opera?), and empties a little crystal vial of arsenic into my pudding while it's chilling in the fridge? Will my husband track down the assassin and challenge him to a duel? Will he avenge my death?

I realized I have nothing to worry about, as my husband happens to be a black belt in karate. That, and I always lock the door whenever I go out to the opera.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding

from Joy the Baker, who got it from Gourmet Cookbook

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

2 cups whole milk

1 large egg

4 ounces good semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:

Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and boil, whisking, until pudding is thick, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Immediately beat eggs lightly in a medium heat proof bowl, then very gradually add hot pudding to the egg, whisking constantly. Whisk in chopped chocolate until smooth.

Pour pudding into ramekins or custard cups and cover surface each with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate, covered, until cool, at least 2 hours.

Serve pudding with toasted marshmallows or whipped cream!