Chocolate pudding

6 tbs granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 4-oz bars bitter sweet chocolate, broken up
4 tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt to combine.  Slowly whisk in milk and cream.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat and continue cooking until mixture thickens (1-2 minutes.)  Remove saucepan from heat and add chocolate, butter, and vanilla.  Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is blended.  Scrape pudding into a bowl and press plastic wrap over the surface while it cools.  Refrigerate until chilled.

Milk chocolate pudding:  Follow recipe above, reducing sugar and cocoa powder to 3 tbs. each and substituting milk chocolate for the bittersweet.

White chocolate pudding:  follow recipe above, reducing sugar to 3 tbs and omitting cocoa powder.  Substitute white chocolate for bittersweet.