Well, this recipe comes with some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I learned how to make easy homemade pudding, something that is probably going to be common fixture in my home from now on. The bad news is that as excited as I was to incorporate pomegranate, it didn’t really live up to the hype I had in my mind.  Don’t get me wrong, this was incredibly delicious, and anyone that turns their nose up at it is probably not someone I want to be friends with for much longer. But I feel that whenever something has “pomegranate” in the title, it should transcend any normal expectations you might have.

For example, if I order a pomegranate martini instead of my usual Cosmopolitan, I expect to take a sip and to be assured that my decision to deviate from the status quo was the correct one. So, although I think you should definitely file away this pudding recipe and use it often, I’m not going to be adamant that it needs the pomegranate to give you the best experience. Instead, I’m giving you options of things to try, and if you do find something that is simply amazing, I expect a full report back.

Instead of the pomegranate juice, you could substitute:

• Vanilla Extract – for standard chocolate pudding, this is what the original recipe calls for
• Frangelico – if you want more of a Nutella experience by adding hazelnut flavoring to the chocolate
• Amaretto – for a chocolate-almond mixture
• Cointreau – if you love chocolate oranges as much as I do

Happy tasting!

Chocolate Pudding with Pomegranate

Pudding recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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This recipe is so simple and easy that you’ll never go back to the box stuff again, especially once you taste the difference. (Deb, seriously, THANK YOU) The original called for only 1 teaspoon of vanilla and I substituted 1 tablespoon of POM juice. If you decide to try another flavor, start with 1 teaspoon and add more from there.

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
6 ounces good-quality semi-sweet chocolate (don’t skimp here)
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice (or 1 teaspoon of other flavoring)

In a double boiler, combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently simmering water and stir with a whisk, occasionally scraping the bottom and sides with the spatula to prevent lumps from forming. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture has thickened and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate chips. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened (remember it will thicken even more once it sets up). Remove from the heat and stir in the pomegranate juice.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any lumps. (I actually skipped this and it turned out fine, although there were a couple tiny lumps in the pudding.) Pour the pudding individual serving dishes.

If you like pudding skin, put plastic wrap over top of the pudding dishes without it touching the actuall pudding. If you dislike pudding skin, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then dig in. It can also last for up to 3 days, but why on earth would you wait that long?

Pomegranate Whipped Cream

This wasn’t as exciting as I thought it was going to be. I was hoping for a bright pink whipped cream to top the pudding with, but in order to get enough of the POM juice in the cream to make it red, the mixture became too watery to set up a true whipped cream. The flavor was great actually, so if you want that red/pink look I would just cheat and add a drop of food coloring, or just enjoy your tasty white whipped cream.

½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat on high with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Serve on top of your pudding and enjoy!