Somehow, we're well into August and summer break will be over before we know it. It's been a busy - but very productive - summer for us but I'm looking forward to a slower pace in the next few weeks. We just got back from a very relaxing vacation in Turks & Caicos. It takes some adjustment to come back from paradise but it's always good to be home!
Before we left, my little one and I made some popsicles for our latest kitchen collaboration. We made some delicious, relatively light yet seriously satisfying, chocolate pudding popsicles. I mentioned that I've been doing some cooking projects with my little guy. I've been trying to build his interest and attempting to teach him some basic skills and ideas about cooking. So I try to entice him with simple cooking projects that can hold his attention (a 9-year old boy's attention span is short!) and will result in things he likes to eat.
 |
| In the kitchen this summer...thoroughly enjoying the fruits of our labors |
Well, this time it was chocolate pudding pops. My son loves chocolate almost as much as I do, and he particularly loves this chocolate pudding pie that I've been making on repeat lately so it got me thinking about making some chocolate pudding pops with him.
I've made fudge pops before and, to be honest, I'm not altogether sure if there's a difference between "fudge pops" and "chocolate pudding pops" when you hear those terms being used. The two recipes I've now tried are a bit different but I think we tend to use the two names interchangeably. Anyone care to enlighten me?
Anyway, maybe it's the magic of working with your child but all I can say is these were the best chocolate pudding pops I've had and helped to make. I decided on a simple recipe from Cooking Light, which calls for low-fat milk, a good dose of cocoa, and some bittersweet chocolate. A touch of cornstarch and an egg yolk give it some more body. The result is a creamy yet icy popsicle filled with deep chocolate flavor.
My young "chef" was pleasantly surprised by how good his popsicles were. I think he was a little worried and skeptical after having a taste of pure unsweetened cocoa (he asked to try it so I let him!). But once these pudding pops were done and he sunk his teeth into it, he resoundingly approved and wanted two popsicles in one sitting! This batch of popsicles went quickly.
My husband and I were swooning a bit over these simple pudding pops ourselves. While it's entirely possible that our response had something to do with the fact that they were made by a very special fella, I think you'd agree they're better than any chocolate pudding pops you'd buy at the grocery store.
