When I first met Ryan in college, I was seriously impressed
by his cereal-eating ability. For me, cereal had always been a breakfast food.
Not so for Ryan or his roommate Daniel. They kept at least 6 boxes of cereal in
their dorm room at all times and it served not just as breakfast, but also as a
mid-morning snack, a post-lunch dessert, a midnight snack…you get the picture.
For the first four years of our marriage, the cereal affair continued. Ryan
kept boxes of cereal at work which he enjoyed for breakfast each day, but we
also kept a box or two at home for all of those other times a day when cereal
was necessary. That all changed a few months ago when Ryan decided he and milk
weren’t as great of friends as they once were, and cereal has become more of a
rarity around these parts.
No cereal in the house means no milk in the house, since I
don’t like milk all that much either (let it be known that, for both of us, ice
cream is an entirely different
obsession story). I do buy milk
occasionally, usually when a recipe calls for it, but I’m not often left with
excess milk on hand. Thankfully I have a few favorite ways of using extra milk:
homemade ice cream,
of course, but also pudding!
I think I’m finally getting the hang of homemade pudding,
which requires patience and lots of stirring! This batch turned out perfect—no
lumps and bursting with rich chocolate flavor. After reading the allrecipes.com
reviews, I reduced the sugar and added some extra cornstarch. This resulted in
a sturdier pudding, convenient when you’re putting it in a (peanut butter
cookie!) crust and slicing pieces of pie. If you want a creamier (but likely,
messier) pie, reduce the cornstarch by 1
tbsp. Although I kept things simple with the crust
and pudding, this would be divine with homemade whipped cream on top!
One Year Ago: Crispy Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs
Two Years Ago: Marshmallow Brownies
Three Years Ago: Veggie Tuna Pasta Bake
Chocolate Pudding Pie with Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
pudding adapted from allrecipes, crust from Moose Tracks Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients:
for the crust-
-20 peanut butter sandwich cookies
-4 tbsp butter, melted
for the pudding-
-3/4 cup sugar
-2 tbsp all-purpose flour
-3 tbsp cornstarch
-1/4 tsp salt
-2 cups milk
-4 egg yolks
-2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
-1 tbsp butter
-1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. To make the crust, crush cookies in food processor or resealable plastic bag. Mix with melted butter and press into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 350F for 8 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat milk and egg yolks until smooth. Gradually stir into sugar mixture, cooking over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat and add chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
4. Pour pudding into crust. Place plastic wrap over the filling to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
