Chocolate Pudding

Prep the ingredients
Before you start, be sure an adult is nearby to help.

In a bowl, use a whisk to stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Set aside. Use a serrated knife to chop the chocolate into small bits.

Melt the chocolate
Put the milk and vanilla in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and warm until tiny bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Add the chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted, about 1 minute.

Carefully ladle about one-fourth of the hot milk into the sugar mixture and whisk until everything is smooth.

Mix it all together
Add the remaining hot milk and whisk again until the mixture is smooth. Add this mixture back to the saucepan and place over medium heat.

Stir the mixture with the rubber spatula until it begins to thicken. Use the spatula to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan to make sure those parts dont burn.

Cook, cool and serve
Cook the mixture until very thick, about 2 minutes. To test it, run your finger through the mixture on the spatula (let it cool a bit first!); it should leave a distinct trail.

Ladle the pudding into bowls and let it cool for at least 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Sweet Treats, by Carolyn Beth Weil (Simon & Schuster, 2006).