Chocolate Pudding

This is the first in a series of tribute posts to my Mother. I am actually not a huge fan of Mother's Day, due years of struggle with infertility and feeling badly on that day. We honor both my Mother and my Mother-in Law throughout the year, and on Mother's Day this year, I'm having the birthday party for both of my sons at my home.

I've chosen the entire week here to honor my Mother and her Mother and some of their favorite foods for the fun of it.

My Mother went to Antoinettte Pope's School to learn to cook as a young single woman in Chicago, while she was the VP's secretary for a big company and going to college at night. I have AP's School Cook Book from 1958, and read recently in the paper that it is highly collectible. I have Mom's copy now, and it is tattered.

I couldn't resist reprinting this picture of chicken salad from the book though. Yes, that is chicken salad molded into a chicken. It looks like it is sliding down already!

I have a very fond memory of my Mom loving the chocolate pudding I made in 7th grade home ec. She actually ate it all (small bowl), went out and bought the ingredients, and replaced it before I got home from school. I should add that I did very poorly with most dishes in Home Ec, and the teacher used to tease me as I aced all the sewing things including extra credit projects, and then had no patience to follow the elaborate recipes. Nothing has changed. This is still easy and tasty.

Chocolate Pudding From Amy’s 7th Grade Home Ec Class

Mix together in a heavy aluminum pan:

3 T. Cocoa

2 T. Cornstarch

1/8 t. salt

1/2 C. sugar

Add slowly:1 3/4 C. Milk

Mix a small amount of the milk to the dry ingredients, which have been stirred together well. Add the remaining milk. Place on a medium flame and stir CONSTANTLY until thickened. After the mixture is thickened, allow it to boil SLOWLY over a LOW FLAME for two extra minutes.

Remove from flame and add:1 T. butter 1/2 t. vanilla

Place in individual dishes or a baked pie shell. Cover with a plastic wrap.