A Secret

It's time to let you in on a little secret.  Time .  is  .  getting  .  away  .  from  .  me.  With a (fairly) new job and an upcoming wedding in our family, my time is filled with a myriad of mind boggling details.  Dinner these days is comprised of old standbys and quick combinations of things laying around the kitchen.  My passion for recipe development is sadly on hold as I put other things first.

I will be sharing with you less often.  Please use the tried and true recipes you have seen on these pages up till now and know that I'll return when time permits.  I have grown to love those of you who loyally come along side me and enjoy my recipes.  Thank you many times over.

I leave you for now with a creamy pudding recipe.  Oranges sat on my patio table, having fallen off our windblown tree. They made me dream of orange for breakfast, orange for lunch, and orange for dinner.  And then for dessert,  I dreamed up this pudding to use orange again.

With this recipe, you will have the richest, sweetest pudding - and you won't need to open a box to make it!  Even better, there will be no guilt in indulging.  Be sure to lick every bit off your spoon.

Chocolate Orange Pudding

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, divided
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (use a microplane if you have one)
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh berries for garnish, optional

Pour 2 cups almond milk into medium saucepan and place over medium low heat.  In small bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, orange zest, and salt.  Add remaining 3 tablespoons almond milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

When bubbles form around edge of saucepan and milk is hot, whisk in sugar mixture.  Raise heat to medium and cook, whisking often, until boiling and thick.  It should take about 20 minutes.  Pour into 5 small bowls and cover with plastic wrap that touches pudding to prevent skin from forming. 

Place in refrigerator to chill and finish thickening.  Before serving, garnish with berries if desired.  Makes 5 servings, 2 points plus for Weight Watchers or 111 calories each.