Chocolate Pudding Pops

Frozen treat month continues! These came to be when I gave my boyfriend mono a few months ago. Oppsi. I tried to make it up to him by making him pudding, which failed. I was in a rush and not thinking. The pudding didn't get thick enough. It was pretty sad, until I thought put in the freezer! Soupy pudding was no more.

You could simply make pudding and skip the freezing, but it is summer and I think you probably should. This is super easy to make. It takes about 20 minutes in total and you probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already.

These are very chocolate-y. The addition of a little unsweetened chocolate really amps up the chocolate flavor. If you don't have any on hand, don't worry. They will still taste delicious with only semisweet or bittersweet chocolate.

I've made these with and without the addition of butter. I'm not sure that it makes a huge difference, but I like to add it. I think it gives it a little more texture and body, plus I like to think it helps the popsicles slide out of their molds easier. Who knows though.

These really are the perfect summer popsicles. They don't melt super fast and by melting I mean they turn to pudding. No dripping and sticky hands involved. Its like pudding meets ice cream on a stick, but with less melting.

If you don't have a popsicle mold, it would be totally worth trying to freeze a bowl of this pudding and eating it like ice cream. The ingredients are almost identical to those found in ice cream. The options are deliciously endless. Cool off and make these as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

xo,
April

Makes 6 popsicles
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
6 wooden popsicle sticks

Instructions:

1. Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan, Slowly whisk in the milk, in a thin steam at first so that lumps don’t form, then more quickly once the cornstarch mixture is smoothly incorporated. 
2.  Place over medium-low heat and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 7 to 10 minutes (slower over lower heat is better, to give the cornstarch time to cook), before it starts to simmer, the mixture should begin to thicken, enough that it will coat the back of a spoon. 
3. Add the chocolate, and continue stirring for another 2 to 4 minutes, until chocolate is fully incorporated and mixture is quite thick (like pudding). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.
4. Let cool slightly, then pour evenly among popsicle molds (there will be about one cup of pudding leftover. That is okay though because you get pudding right away). Freeze the molds for about 30 minutes and then place popsicle sticks in molds; continue to freeze for another 4 hours before serving.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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