Buy a bit at the Bakehouse or the Roadhouse to eat at your house.
By Ari Weinzweig
The chocolate pudding is one of the many comforting and compelling foods that we have here in the ZCoB. It’s been on my mind for a few weeks since I heard Zach Milner, one of the Roadhouse managers, walking excitedly muttering more to himself than anyone else, “This is so good!” And then, this week the Roadhouse started making its Butterscotch and Chocolate puddings that are now available in the Bakeshop.
The story behind chocolate pudding.
While I think of pudding as a really luxurious way to end a meal, back in the 19th century, chocolate pudding was considered something akin to a health food—like rice pudding, you would serve some to folks who were ailing and in ill health. Chocolate pudding started reaching a bigger, national audience during the Depression when Jell-O® brand introduced its packaged product. I remember the boxes well—my mother used to make it for us regularly.
Why our chocolate pudding is so good.
What the Roadhouse kitchen crew produces though is far more flavorful. It’s super rich, and not all that sweet. Dark chocolate is the feature—sugar is only an accent. The pudding is made from Shawn Askinosie’s amazingly good bean-to-box cocoa powder, fresh eggs, milk, dark Scharffenberger chocolate, a small bit of flour to thicken it all, some salt, sugar, a good bit of butter, and real vanilla. The Chocolate Pudding is pretty exceptional!
You can order it with your carryout from the Roadhouse, or, as of this week, swing by the Bakehouse and pick it up in single-serve cups. Buy a bit extra while you’re there—it holds up well. You can eat it in the car, or transfer it into elegant little bowls at home to serve at your house. Add a bit of whipped cream if you want, or maybe a sprinkle of fleur de sel. Take a deep breath, appreciate the aroma, dip your spoon, do a little swoon, and think about better times to come.