Hazelnut Chocolate Pudding-Made in the Microwave

I have always loved hazelnuts.  When I was a kid we would always get nuts in our stocking (My husband was dismayed to find out that we got anything but candy in our stocking and was sorely disappointed when he found nuts in his stocking our first Christmas).  We would all pile our nuts into a basket on the table and for the next week after we had overloaded on sweets we would sit around the table and crack nuts while swapping stories.  The hazelnuts were a favorite.  More flavorful than the almonds and a lot easier to crack than the brazil nuts, I learned to love hazelnuts early in life.

I have no idea how I made it almost to adulthood before I ever had nutella, but when I did I was in heaven.  Chocolate and hazelnuts were meant to be together.  Though this pudding has no nutella in it, it has a very similar flavor.  A few months ago when I was making my nutella buttercream frosting, I was looking for hazelnut flavoring to add to the cake batter.  I called multiple grocery stores and specialty stores.  Hazelnut flavoring was no where to be found.  Saddened I just made regular chocolate cupcakes.  I was surprised and elated when a few weeks ago I found hazelnut extract at Winco of all places.  I didn't want to turn on the oven to make cupcakes and I had some milk that needed to be used up, so I decided to try some hazelnut pudding. I have a great easy chocolate pudding recipe that is made in the microwave.  One teaspoon of hazelnut extract was enough to make it something to crave.

Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding
Made in the Microwave

Adapted from allrecipes.

Ingredients
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon hazelnut extract
2 Tablespoon butter (optional)

Combine sugar cocoa powder and cornstarch in a large microwave safe bowl (I use my large 4 cup measure). Sift the cocoa powder to get out all the clumps. Whisk in milk slowly and make sure there are no clumps. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Stir well and continue to microwave at one minute intervals until thick and shiny, about 2-4 minutes. Keep an eye on it to be sure it doesn't over flow.

Remove from microwave and add optional butter hazelnut extract and vanilla. Stir and refrigerate with plastic wrap on top touching the pudding.

Notes:  Of course more fat (whole milk and butter) makes it taste better (richer, smoother). But I've made this with 2 % milk and no butter and it's still great.  So if you so desire you can cut back the fat that way.  Also, the pudding in the picture looks pretty dark.  That's because this time when I made it I used Hershey's special Dark Cocoa Powder.  I did not include that in the recipe because I decided I like it made with regular cocoa powder best.  If you are prefer dark chocolate go ahead and use it.

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