Christmas Pudding

Did you think this was going to be a recipe for English pudding? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but this is for a dairy-free chocolate pudding. I've posted about it before, but felt it deserved its own dedicated post. Note that if you also have other allergies (like for corn), you can use arrowroot powder in place of the cornstarch, and any type of nut butter that you like.

Chocolate Almond Milk Pudding

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, Dutch-process or natural, unsweetened
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups dark chocolate almond milk
• ⅓ cup creamy hazelnut spread
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch. Stir in the milk and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the nut butter and vanilla. Pour into a serving dish, pressing plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a "skin" from forming. Serve with berries or sliced bananas, if desired.

We turned our leftovers into chocolate mousse, by whipping some cream (no dairy allergies here) and folding it into the pudding. It was delicious topped with raspberries. We also mixed the pudding with a frozen banana and some milk to make a scrumptious milkshake. So many options!