Temper, temper, temper...

Any guesses as to what went wrong with this chocolate pudding?

Over the weekend, I decided to make one of our comfort food favorites, homemade chocolate pudding. Now I've made chocolate pudding a number of times and I am fully aware that it is necessary to temper the egg before adding it into pudding. In my defense, I did temper the egg. But I was in a rush and I added the hot liquid too fast to my egg. Still hurrying, I added the poorly tempered egg back into the pudding before I realized the condition (scrambled) of that egg. For those of you unaware of tempering, it just means that you gradually add hot liquid to the egg to bring it the same temparature of the pudding (or custard, souffle, etc.) before adding it into the pudding to avoid the unpleasant texture pictured above.

Here are the steps for tempering an egg:

1. Add a small amount of the hot liquid or substance to the egg,stirring vigorously.

2. Once the egg is well incorporated you can add a little more then stir some more.Then you can place the mixture back in the pot.

3. It is crucial that you add them very slowly to what ever you are cooking.If not,you will end up with scrambled eggs.This is why it is very important to slowly bring the egg to the same tempature as the mixture you are adding it to.

Now that we've had our little tempering lesson, and you're sure to avoid the same kitchen disaster that I encountered, I'm going to go ahead and recommend this pudding recipe. I found it in Better Homes and Gardens and I thought that I'd compare it against my go-to Dark Chocolate Pudding Recipe .

So here's how you make BHG Rich and Creamy Chocolate Pudding:

In a medium saucepan, combine sugars, cocoa powder, cornstarch. The recipe recommends that you should also stir in instant espresso powder. I didn't have any espresso powder, so I added a couple of tablespoons of strong coffee to the milk before adding it to the pudding.

Gradually stir in the milk and coffee until smooth.

Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

This next step is where I went wrong. See, even a practiced, competent cook messes up from time to time. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into egg in a medium bowl. Add egg mixture to milk mixture in saucepan, stirring constantly. Return saucepan to heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.

The verdict: The flavor of this pudding was wonderful! I can just imagine how delicious it would have been if I hadn't turned it into chocolate egg drop soup. I'd certainly make this recipe again...sans egg chunks.

Mmmm. Lumpy.

You know the old saying, "Haste makes waste?" Totally accurate this time.

Rich and Creamy Chocolate Pudding from Better Homes and Gardens

Prep: 30 minutes

Chill: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder or instant coffee crystals
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 banana, sliced (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugars, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and espresso powder. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

2. Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into egg in a medium bowl. Add egg mixture to milk mixture in saucepan, stirring constantly. Return saucepan to heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.

3. Place saucepan in a very large bowl half-filled with ice water. Stir pudding constantly for 2 minutes to cool quickly. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. To serve, top with sliced banana and/or crystallized ginger. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 217, Total Fat (g) 5, Saturated Fat (g) 3, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 63, Sodium (mg) 95, Carbohydrate (g) 39, Total Sugar (g) 33, Fiber (g) 2, Protein (g) 7, Calcium (DV%) 18, Iron (DV%) 6, Percent Daily Values are based

on a 2,000 calorie diet