Chocolate Pudding Pie

Guess what? You don't need dairy milk to make pudding - something I didn't know for too long. I've made vegan chocolate pudding with silken tofu and cocoa powder, which was good, but didn't have that essential pudding-ness I was craving. This is much closer to what I loved growing up. It's a simple chocolate pudding recipe (from Vegan With a Vengeance), poured into a vegan graham cracker pie crust. I'm usually not one to need dessert after supper, but I think this is the fourth time I've made this pie in the last three weeks. It's good.

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Chocolate Pudding Pie

1 vegan graham cracker pie crust (9 in. or so in diameter)

2 cups soy milk

3 tbsp. arrowroot powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder (I throw in some chocolate baking chips too, just for good measure)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

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1. In a saucepan (this is a good place for nonstick) dissolve arrowroot into soy milk. Add sugar and cocoa, and stir frequently over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. At around the five minute point, the mixture will start to thicken up - just like making a gravy. Keep stirring for a couple more minutes and remove from heat. If you do this a couple of times, you'll see how the level of thickness while you're cooking translates to the firmness of the pudding. There's no need to overcook it, since it firms up really well in the fridge. When you turn off the heat, add the vanilla extract and give it a final mix.

3. Pour pudding into pie crust, or individual serving cups. I let it air cool for a half hour or so before putting it in the refrigerator. It is ready to serve in about 3 hours, but benefits from a full overnight stay in the fridge.