Happy Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, here's a really tasty dessert. If you've never made homemade pudding you should really try - its very easy and very, very good. I really loved the kick from the Mexican chili powder in this. I substituted cornstarch for the arrowroot powder, and in the future I would you just a touch of the pumpkin mixture in the whipped cream, because what is in the recipe is way too much to keep the whipped cream actually whipped. You can use the remainder of the pumpkin mixture for muffins or cookies.

Mexican Mocha Pudding with Pumpkin Cream
From Vegetarian Times

Mexican Mocha Pudding

½ cup sugar, preferably natural brown sugar such as Sucanat or maple
3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
2½ Tbs. arrowroot powder
1 Tbs. instant espresso powder
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. New Mexico chili powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 large egg
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whipped Pumpkin Cream

1 15-oz. can pumpkin

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1. Combine sugar, cocoa powder, arrowroot powder, espresso powder, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk together egg and egg yolks in separate bowl. Stir egg mixture into cocoa mixture.

2. Scald milk in saucepan over medium heat until milk is steaming. Remove from heat. Whisk ı/2 cup hot milk into cocoa mixture. While whisking, pour cocoa mixture back into hot milk, and whisk until smooth. Return to medium heat, and continue whisking for 5 to 6 minutes, until pudding starts to bubble. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Transfer pudding to bowl, and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto pudding; refrigerate until chilled.

3. To make Whipped Pumpkin Cream: Cook pumpkin and brown sugar with cinnamon in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl, and cool to room temperature.

4. Whip cream in stand mixer or with handheld beaters on medium-high, until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Fold whipped cream into pumpkin until no streaks remain. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve pudding dolloped with pumpkin cream.

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I tried to take the dogs out to take some Halloween pictures today with these cute pumpkin headbands that Chris' mom sent to us - in fact, my place is decorated thanks to her since she sent candy, mini pumpkins, and a wonderful-smelling sugared pumpkin candle as well, Thanks! - but the dogs were not cooperating. So, instead of pretty pictures with a nice grass and tree background, you get what I was able to manage inside the house. They're not pretty, and you get to see my dishwasher, but there you go.

Happy Halloween!

I'm off to have a slice of my first pumpkin pie of the season!