— by Margo Sugarman
When rain is crashing down outside and the temperatures plummet, nothing can make one forget about the weather like a hot, gooey chocolate pudding.
This recipe is a real oldie, and very easy to make. It gets into the oven with the batter at the bottom and a whole lot of liquid on top, and comes out with a cake-like top and a lush, fudgey base.
The recipe, in its various forms, has many different theories for its inception. Some say that its very basic ingredients point to the post-WWII era, when ingredients were scarce. My late mother-in-law, who spent many years in Atlanta and gave me the recipe, always attributed it to the South African expats who lived there in the 1970s.
You can make the recipe parve by using soy milk instead of regular milk. It will have no discernible taste difference.
Ingredients for 6 Servings
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 3 tablespoons melted butter/margarine
- 1/2 cup milk (or soy milk)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup hot water
Preparation
- Preheat an oven to 350ºF.
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the milk, melted butter/margarine and vanilla.
- Pour the batter into a greased medium-sized baking dish.
- Mix together all other ingredients for the topping and carefully pour over the batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Serve hot or warm. If you want to add to the decadence, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Margo Sugarman is the creator of The Kosher Blogger.
