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 Jell-O brand chocolate pudding | |
Chocolate puddings are a class of desserts in thepudding family withchocolate flavors. There are two main types: a boiled then chilled dessert, texturally acustard set withstarch, commonly eaten in theU.S.,Canada,Germany,Sweden,Poland, andEast andSouth East Asia; and a steamed/baked version, texturally similar tocake, popular in theUK,Ireland,Australia,Germany andNew Zealand.
The U.S./Canadian and Asian version is one of the most common varieties ofsweet ordessertpudding served in these countries. It is usually eaten as asnack ordessert. It is also used as a filling forchocolate (pudding) pie orblack bottom pie.
Historically, it is a variation onchocolatecustard, with starch used as a thickener rather than eggs. Early versions of the dish using both egg and flour can be found in the 1918 edition ofFannie Farmer'sBoston Cooking School Cook Book and in the 1903 edition of Mary Harris Frazer'sKentucky Receipt Book.
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 ahealth food in the modern sense of the term but as a wholesome, high-calorie food for those with poor appetites.General Foods (Jell-O) introduced chocolate pudding mix in 1934 as "Walter Baker's Dessert". It was renamed "Pickle's Pudding" in 1936.
Modern chocolate puddings are usually made withmilk andsugar, flavored withchocolate andvanilla and thickened with astarch such asflour orcornstarch. Occasionally, eggs are still used when making chocolate pudding. Usually, it is cooked together on the stovetop, but other methods exist, includingmicrowaving,steaming,baking (sometimes in abain-marie), orfreezing (using gelatin as a thickener). Sometimeswhite chocolate pudding is made. Chocolate pudding is commonly purchased ready-made in stores; popular brands includeJell-O Pudding by theKraft Foods Corporation andSnack Pack byHunt's.
Many people make their chocolate puddings at home, but commercially produced tinned or refrigerated versions are commonly available in supermarkets.
In Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, chocolate pudding is a dessert made offlour,baking powder,sugar, wholeeggs,vanilla aroma, andcocoa powder orchocolate mixed to make a batter and steamed orbaked similar toChristmas pudding. Texturally, it is similar to chocolate cake, but denser, courtesy of being steamed or baked with boiling water poured over the pudding batter.
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