When I was younger, if we had a bad stomach, a cornflour pudding was made. I loved it and would pretend to have a bad stomach often. 😉 In reality I don’t think it helped, but it was warm, sweet, and filled my stomach. Sweet treats were not part of the menu as often in those days as they are now. Nowadays I make this as a chocolate cornflour pudding by adding cocoa. My children both loved it when they were younger. It used to be a really frugal dessert that we enjoyed in a variety of ways.
With rising prices now, it is not as frugal, unfortunately. However we had lots of spare milk that needed using up, and I needed a chocolate hit. I therefore made some. It brought back lots of lovely memories. This pudding can be eaten hot or cold. As it cools it becomes more solid like a blancmange. It is lovely straight out of the fridge on a warm day, or hot on a cold day. Chocolate cornflour pudding in these quantaties can be a dessert for up to 4 people.
Ingredients
1 pint of milk
3 level dessert spoons of cornflour
1 dessert spoon full of cocoa
3 level dessert spoons of sugar.
Method
1. Measure out a pint of milk into a jug.
2. Pour the milk into a pan but leave about an inch of it in the bottom of the jug.
3. Heat the milk gently and bring it to the boil.
4. Whilst the milk is heating, put the dry ingredients into the bit of milk at the bottom of the jug .Mix well making sure that there are no lumps.
5. Pour the boiling milk into the jug with the other ingredients and stir. This step is important to help it thicken.
6. Pour the contents of the jug back into the pan and bring it back to the boil. Stir continuously and quickly and it will suddenly thicken. Take off the heat when thick enough to look like a thick custard.
7. Serve hot in bowls, or pour into dishes to eat cold. I used a sundae glass to save some for Mr S.
8. Once cool store in the fridge (cover or put cling film on top). You could decorate with a swirl of cream if you wanted to make it fancy.
I use this recipe if I have nothing in but want a dessert. It can be made from the store cupboard. I use this same recipe to make chocolate custard but only use 2 tablespoons of cornflour. My children loved it hot on artic roll in the 90s. I love chocolate sponge and chocolate custard. It reminds me of school dinners enjoyed as a child.
Sometimes I omit the cocoa and put green colouring and mint flavouring in it to eat with chocolate concrete (a bit like chocolate shortbread). This was another school favourite from the 60s. I do use heaped dessertspoons of cornflour when not adding the cocoa. My friend asks if we can have this when she comes to stay. I also make pink custard with a drop of red colouring and strawberry flavouring. Things can be made special and different without spending a lot of money. I always have these staples in and use dried milk if I don’t have much fresh milk left. Do you remember cornflour pudding or chocolate concrete with coloured custard at school?
