Chocolate and Malt Pudding

In yesterday's post, I mentioned this pudding, and there was some interest in it, so I'll share the recipe with you. I LOVE PUDDING! I have a few different kinds that I make, and this one is particularly easy because it doesn't require eggs, so you don't have to worry that it will curdle.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup malted milk powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
4 cups 1% or 2% milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
(Optional, but recommended) Whoppers (or Malteasers, depending on what part of the world you live in) to use as garnish

Instructions
Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium, heavy saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Add the milk to the sugar mixture, one cup at a time, stirring well with the whisk after each addition to get the lumps out. Place the pan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Once the milk starts getting hot, be careful to stir-use the whisk to make sure the milk isn't scorching to the bottom of the pan. Bring the milk mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down a little, but keep it bubbling for a minute or two, until it thickens up (keep stirring!). Remove the pudding from the heat. Add the chocolate chips and stir until they melt and blend into the pudding. Taste. Burn tongue. Taste again. Stir in the vanilla. BIG taste.

Serving Suggestions
At this point, you can just stand there at the stove and keep "tasting" until you've eaten most of it, after which you remember that maybe someone else would like some. What's left can be served hot, if you like hot pudding. Tell everyone that it's a pity that it's such a small batch, and that next time, clearly, you need to double the recipe.

If you like cold pudding, pour the pudding mixture into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Actually place the plastic wrap right on the surface of the pudding. This prevents a "skin" from forming as it chills. When you're ready, serve it up with a couple of smashed Whoppers (Malteasers) sprinkled on top of each serving. Supplement with additional pilfered Whoppers on the side as desired. Serves 6, if you're good and don't eat it at the stove like I do.