Chocolate Pudding Wedges with Cinnamon Toasts

don't judge my presentation- what it lacked in presentation, it made up for in rich, delicious flavor!

I love any chance I can get to try new recipes, so when I had a meeting at my house this week, I knew I was going to make dessert so I got out all of my dessert recipes (well, almost all) and sifted through them and this guy came out on top.  It's thick, creamy, not too sweet, and delicious on top of those cinnamon baguettes.  The recipe calls for bittersweet chocolate, and I was tempted to try it with semi sweet, but my friend Evelyn told me it'd probably be too sweet- and she's probably right, although next time I might try doing half bitter sweet half semi sweet. The original recipe, however, is pure delectability, so try it first, and then play around depending on your chocolate tastes :) This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens February 2010 magazine (one of the pages I probably stole in a doctor's office or something)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's brand)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate (60% to 62% cacao...I have no idea why it's so particular.  just go with it)
• 2 tablespoons of dark rum, optional
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (plus about a tablespoon or two)
• 1/4 stick butter AT ROOM TEMPERATURE (btw, I keep my butter at room temp.  It's safe. If you use salted, don't add the salt, if you use unsalted, obviously, add the salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 12 baguettes sliced diagonally

Directions

• In a large heavy saucepan, whisk the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  
• Add 1/2 cup of the milk.  Whisk to a smooth paste.  Turn on the stove to medium-high heat then whisk in the remaining milk and whipping cream.  Stir constantly until pudding thickens and begins to bubble at edges (this took me about 5 minutes- don't be discouraged if it takes a bit- but make sure you keep stirring until it thickens).  Then, stir 30 seconds more.
• Add chocolate, stir 1 minute to melt.  Remove from heat; stir in rum and vanilla
• Transfer pudding to a lightly oiled 9 inch deep dish pie plate.  Cool, uncovered, for 2 hours at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate over night.
• For cinnamon toasts, combine the room temp butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt (if using) with a fork until well combined.  
• Spread the butter mixture over the baguettes (you can also keep this butter recipe and use for muffins, breads, etc.  your husbands/wives/children/girlfriends/boyfriends/whoever will LOVE you)
• put the baguettes on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes
• to serve, DON'T DO IT LIKE I DID. it looked ugly.  INSTEAD: slice them up, they will look prettier.  I was trying to be rustic but it just looked like a big blob- thank God it tasted good!  anyway, slice 'em up like a thick piece of pie, and serve alongside the baguettes. 
• spread the chocolate wedges over the bread and enjoy!

If people weren't around me, I would have licked the plate.