Monday, May 16, 2016

Chocolate Pudding Pops

Summer weather had arrived here in the South. A girl from the tropics, I love this change of seasons and don't mind the heat and humidity one bit. This evening was typical- the three of us gathered in the kitchen after school/work, and of course Duncan is always underfoot. Lila was in the mood to make popsicles so the two of us made chocolate pudding pops.

Meanwhile, V whisked up one of our favorite salad dressings and diced up avocado. We dined on big salads out on the porch, with fresh watermelon for dessert. Then, in an act of great optimism, V and Lila planted two avocado seeds in the yard, showering the seeds with dark rich compost from our bin. Fingers crossed that the seeds sprout!

Since the weather got warmer, I've been making popsicles on a regular basis. These chocolate pudding pops are a recent favorite- they are creamy and decadent and the perfect portion-controlled treat. As a plus, they use pantry ingredients that you (or your mini-helper) can whisk in seconds and cook in minutes.



Chocolate Pudding Pops
(Adapted from this recipe)

Makes 6-8 popsicles depending on the size of your molds (I get 7 pops in mine)

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix dry ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • A pinch of salt

2. Whisk in and stir well:

  • 2 cups whole milk (can also use a bit of cream in place of the milk)
3. Microwave the mixture 2 minutes at a time, whisking well in between until the mixture is cooked and thick (takes me 5-6 minutes).

4. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Let the pudding cool a little. You could easily stop at this point and just gobble up the warm pudding. However, if you can restrain yourself...

5. Scoop into popsicle molds (it is too thick to pour) and freeze for several hours.

Other than the pudding pops, simple orange juice poured into the popsicle molds makes for a most refreshing treat. What are your favorite homemade popsicles? It would be fun to make kesar pista kulfi sometime...

18 comments:

  1. These look luscious! I am looking for a coconut popsicle recipe. Please post, anyone who has one.

    - - Rani

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    1. Rani- I wonder if this recipe would make good pops. It certainly makes a wonderful ice cream:
      http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2010/04/tender-coconut-ice-cream.html

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  2. Those chocolate pudding pops look amazing Nupur. I'm going to try these for my kids. I prefer the creamy kind -- so bring on those kesar pista pops :-)
    It has been unusually cold this spring -- can't wait to get out of these jackets :-(

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    1. Is it still cold there? :( we've had wonderful sunny warm weather with occasional chilly days sprinkled in. But of course being the South it will get blisteringly hot soon. I think your kids will love the pudding pops!

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  3. Hi Nupur, sounds wonderful! What fun V and Lila must have had planting seeds! I mix 300 ml fresh cream with a 275 ml can of Nestle condensed milk and 300 ml of Nestle evaporated milk, add ground cardamom and kesar and soaked and shelled pistachio and almonds and freeze in popsicle moulds and this kulfi is very popular with family and friends.

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    1. I must make kulfi very soon, Shubha!! That sounds wonderful.

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  4. Tropicana mango juice in popsicle molds is the summer treat for us.

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  5. Hi!
    For avocado, don't you have to suspend the seed in water, wait until it sprouts and then bury this in soil? Just curious, if you can directly put the seed in soil (which I assumed you did, since you mentioned avocado salads)

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    1. Hello- I don't have the first clue how to grow avocados from seeds! My husband and kid did that as a fun "something to try"- doubt they researched it :) The avocados I eat come from the store.

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  6. Hello... sounds yummy... can i skip the cocoa and add some other flavours...

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  7. Hi Nupur,

    Your descriptions are very lyrical! Keep us posted on the avocado seeds - hope they sprout soon! My version of popsicles - a win-win for me and my picky preschooler. I puree fruits and raw veggies together with a dash of milk or juice and little bit of coconut sugar and pour it in popsicle molds. Now I am happy to give him his just deserts!

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    1. Sounds delicious and a great way to get those veggies in.

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  8. Hey Nupur, not to dampen their enthusiasm or anything - only writing this since there's an eager little girl involved, the timeline between seed planting and fruiting for avocados can be 5 to 13 years. they are kind of like mango trees in that regard, which can take even longer.
    The toothpick method for sprouting may be much more exciting to Lila as she can watch it everyday and it will produce results in weeks.

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    1. We'll have to try that, Sharmila! I'm afraid the avocado seed in the ground has been long forgotten- in our yard, it is survival of the fittest for the poor plants :O

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  9. hi nupur, i used corn flour instead of corn starch. are they the same? the popsicle did not come out well. was too floury.... should i have reduced the corn flour?

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    1. Sangeetha- what's sold as cornflour in India (very fine pure white powder) is the same as cornstarch in the US. Corn flour in the US is a pale yellow flour from corn (for tortillas and tamales and makkai ki roti and such). If the pop was too floury, I strongly suspect that either (a) you didn't cook the mixture long enough or (b) there was a bit too much cornflour added- easy to do since we are not using weight measurements. I'm sorry the recipe was a flop for you :(

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