Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding

A few days ago, there was a cool breeze in my neighborhood. It carried with it, ever so gently, rolling, whispering, fragrant, fallen leaves. That's how I knew it was time to buy pumpkin.

Today, the breeze picked up substantially, and brought with it lower 40-degree temperatures, which numbed my face and arms on my morning walk. That's how I knew it was time to use the pumpkin.

I was going to make a simple crustless pumpkin pie -- a pumpkin custard of sorts. However, I want to introduce you all to some new tastes this autumn, beginning with a stove top chocolate pumpkin pudding.

Pumpkin is so healthy for us, but getting some folks to eat it outside of a pie can be tricky. Enter the chocolate.

In this pudding, the chocolate masks the color of the pumpkin and most of the flavor. You won't be eating this for the pumpkin taste (however, you can easily omit the chocolate and have a stove top pumpkin pudding, if you wish. I recommend adding cinnamon and nutmeg in that case), but rather for the richness and nutrients that pumpkin brings to the table. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding

What You Need:

• 2 cups of milk (I used 1%)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp corn starch

How it's Done:

1. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the pumpkin, the sugar, and the cocoa powder in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium until steaming, almost boiling, but not quite.
2. Whisk together the remaining milk and the corn starch, and slowly add it to the hot liquid, stirring constantly.
3. Cook and stir until thickened.
4. Remove the pudding from the heat and let it cool before serving. Or don't. I love hot pudding. If you are opposed to pudding skin, press some plastic wrap into the top layer of pudding and leave it there while it's cooling.