Mummy's Chocolate Pudding Cups

These individual dessert cups use from-scratch chocolate pudding set in small glasses, then get a whipped cream topping piped in band-like strips and finished with candy eyes and dark chocolate strips for the mummy look. The texture is silky underneath and light on top, with enough structure to serve cleanly after chilling for a Halloween dessert spread.

By Julienne

Cook time: 10 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 720 ml whole milk divided
• 75 g granulated sugar divided
• 35 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 40 g cornstarch
• 2 g fine salt
• 4 count egg yolks lightly beaten
• 28 g unsalted butter cut into pieces
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 480 ml heavy cream cold
• 25 g granulated sugar divided
• 24 g powdered sugar
• 24 count candy eyes
• 30 g dark chocolate finely shaved or cut into thin strips

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together 720 ml of the milk, 75 g of the sugar, the cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Whisk in the egg yolks, then set the pan over medium heat. The mixture looks uniformly combined with no dry pockets before heating.
2. Cook, whisking constantly, until the pudding thickens and starts to bubble in slow, glossy plops, about 6 to 8 minutes. Keep the heat moderate so the eggs do not scramble. The pudding coats the whisk and leaves a clear trail when stirred.
3. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth, then divide the pudding among 12 cups. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and chill for 20 minutes, or until just set enough to top. The pudding is thick, glossy, and no longer fluid at the surface.
4. While the pudding chills, whip the heavy cream with the remaining 25 g sugar and the powdered sugar to medium peaks. The cream should hold shape but still look soft enough to pipe. The whipped cream forms defined ridges that gently fold over at the tip.
5. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream over each cup in uneven horizontal bands to suggest mummy wrappings. Add 2 candy eyes per cup and finish with thin dark chocolate strips across the cream. Each cup has a visible mummy face with stable whipped cream bands and centered eyes.
6. Serve chilled immediately, or refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving for a firmer pudding texture. The cups are cold, set, and cleanly layered when spooned.