Chocolate puddings are a class of desserts with chocolate flavors. There are two main types: a boiled then chilled dessert, texturally a custard set with starch, commonly eaten in the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and East and South East Asia; and a steamed/baked version, texturally similar to cake, popular in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
It is a steamed dessert which consists of flour, baking powder, sugar, whole eggs, vanilla aroma, and cocoa powder or chocolate mixed together to make a batter and steamed or baked similar to Christmas pudding.
Texturally it is similar to chocolate cake, but denser courtesy of being steamed or baked with boiling water poured over the pudding batter. The U.S./Canada and Asian version is one of the most common varieties of sweet or dessert pudding served in these countries.
Modern chocolate puddings are usually made with milk and sugar, flavored with chocolate and vanilla and thickened with a starch such as flour or cornstarch.
It is usually eaten as a snack or dessert. It is also used as a filling for chocolate pie or black bottom pie. Occasionally, eggs are still used when making chocolate pudding. Usually it is cooked together on the stovetop, but other methods exist including microwaving, steaming, baking (sometimes in a bain-marie) or freezing (using gelatin as a thickener). Sometimes white chocolate pudding is made. Chocolate pudding is commonly purchased ready-made in stores, popular brands include Jell-O Pudding by the Kraft Foods Corporation and Snack Pack by Hunt’s.
Many people make their own chocolate puddings at home, but commercially produced tinned or refrigerated versions are commonly available in supermarkets. In the late 19th and early 20th century, chocolate pudding was thought of as an appropriate food for invalids or children as well as a dessert. It was not considered a health food in the modern sense of the term, but as a wholesome, high-calorie food for those with poor appetites.
