The Proof is in the Pudding

Ever wondered where the saying, ‘The proof is in the pudding’ comes from?

According to NPR.com, ‘the proof is in the pudding’ comes from a very old proverb that meant that you had to try out food in order to know whether it was good. In Britain, dating back centuries, pudding meant more than a sweet dessert. Back then, pudding referred to a kind of sausage, filling the intestines of some animal with minced meat and other things – something you probably want to try out carefully since that kind of food could be rather treacherous.

I’ll say! Thank goodness when you say pudding today it generally refers to the delicious treat so many of us love.

I have fond memories of eating Kozy Shack Chocolate Pudding right out of the container while staying up for late night talks with my sister. And for years, my birthday dessert request was Jello Pistachio Pudding Pie (in a graham cracker crust, of course!).

With such ‘sweet’ memories associated with pudding, it’s no surprise that even to this day, eating it makes me happy. If pudding makes you happy too, I thought you would enjoy this recipe for Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding—sweet and creamy, just like the pudding of your childhood, but MUCH better for you. It is dairy-free and thickened with chia seeds, which are a great source of healthy fats and minerals, like calcium and iron.

What a non-treacherous way to indulge that sweet craving!

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Adapted from the Food Network
2 cups coconut milk beverage (not canned)
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (grain or stevia sweetened)
1/4 cup unsweetened raw cacoa powder (could also use cocoa powder)
3 Tablespoons coconut nectar or raw honey (you could also use stevia)
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cook the milk, chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut nectar or honey and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate melts and the cocoa dissolves, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the chia seeds and vanilla. Let cool, stirring every 10 minutes, to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, 8 hours or overnight.

I like to serve this as parfaits with berries and a small sprinkle of nuts or seeds for crunch. So good and so good for you (but not dogs, Sorry Sadie!)

Enjoy,
~Jenny

Chocolate isn’t good for dogs, Sorry Sadie!

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