Happy Thanksgiving with Contest and Recipe

Hello Chickens!  I hope that you are all gearing up for a very happy day of celebration.  If any of you are still in any way panicked about the big day, and in need of assistance, I turn your attention to last year's post which may be helpful...  A Polymath Thanksgiving Primer

You may be surprised to hear that your Polymath is taking the year off from Thanksgiving duties.  However, despite my passion for all things Turkeyday, this year we didn't have any out of towners headed our way, Little Sister and her Mister and the kids are with his pals this year, so it was just going to be me and Charming Suitor and my folks.  Not that four isn't a party, but it seemed a bit thin for the festivities.  Especially since two of us are currently working very hard at healthy eating.  A week of cooking and a house full of leftovers was just not in the cards this year. 

Lucky for us, we have an open invite at my godparents' house, which is the place I want to be if I'm not hosting!  Extended family is always fun, and the spread is always abundant and spectacularly delish. 

So this year, instead of a traditional Thanksgiving recipe, I wanted to share one that was inspired by my godmom Susan and Charming Suitor.  She is the queen of chocolate, and the darker the better.  He is the king of all pudding. Susan doesn't want any nuts or fruits or flotsam and jetsam to mar perfect chocolatey goodness, and CS will eschew all manner of cakes, pies, and other baked sweets if he can just have pudding. 

CS and I were having a couple of pals over for Monday night dinner, and I needed a dessert that was quick and easy.  I had spotted a Jean-Georges recipe for a dark chocolate pudding a week or so back, and I thought it would be the perfect thing to play with.  A few little tweaks and we have a very grownup pudding that is dark enough to make Susan smile.  And a handy thing if you need a last minute dessert for your holiday:


Super Dark Chocolate Pudding for Susan and CSadapted from Jean-Georges Vongrichten
½ c granulated sugar½ c Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder (or the darkest cocoa powder you can findk Ghiradelli works too)
5 ½ T cornstarch
Pinch salt
1 t instant espresso powder
1 qt half and half
3.5 oz dark chocolate, (75-85% cacao) chopped
1 t vanilla

 Sift all dry ingredients together.  Whisk in the half and half and strain into a large saucepan, just to catch any possible lumps, because you want the smoothest pudding ever.  Cook over medium heat, whisking upretty constantly, until the pudding starts to bubble and thicken, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla.  Whisk until chocolate is fully melted and incorporated.  Pour into a large bowl or into six ramekins and cover with plastic wrap, preferably with the wrap touching the top of the pudding so that a skin does not form.  Chill until set, about 4 hours for a single bowl, 2 hours for individual servings.  Serve with very lightly sweetened whipped cream, and maybe a couple little shortbread cookies on the side.
It's been a while since we had a giveaway, so I thought we would have a small one in honor of the holiday.
Share your best Thanksgiving tip or recipe in the comments section, and I will choose one at random to receive this fabulous Orka 11 inch Silicone Oven Mitt:
[image error]So, share with the class between now and 11:59PM on Sunday night, and I will announce the winner on Monday.
And seriously?  Make the pudding.  You can thank me later.
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday.  Know that I am always thankful for you.
Yours in Gratitude and Good Taste,The Polymath