five ingredient chocolate pudding.

Now that Fall is almost here, this is the accompaniment to chilly evenings. Easiest thing in the world, delicious to boot. A handful of ingredients.

1/4 cup cornstarch.

1/2 cup sugar and a pinch of salt.

3 cups whole milk.

Chocolate chips. I used a mixture of dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a heated saucepan.

Slowly whisk in the milk.

After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken, add the chocolate chips.

Continue stirring till the chocolate chips melts and the pudding is smooth and thickens.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour into ramekins and set to chill in the refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy: www.smitten-kitchen.com

pumpkin and chocolate chip bread.

I attempted to bake pumpkin-chocolate-chip bread earlier today. One of my kindergarteners had bought it for lunch last week, so I asked his mom, who runs a catering company with her husband, to send me the recipe.

Makes 16 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 1 hour.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of all-purpose flour.
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
2 eggs.
1 cup sugar.
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree.
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil, Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour till a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Yield: one loaf. 16 slices.