Whiteley Creek Homestead

It's the color of Jell-O brand chocolate pudding. It's the consistency of the familiar boxed mix. But is it Jell-O Instant Pudding and Pie Filling? Hmmm.

Let's look at the ingredients in a box of 5 Minutes to Homemade Jell-O Instant Pudding and Pie Filling, Chocolate Flavor.

Ingredients
Sugar, Modified Food Starch, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Disodium Phosphate (For Thickening), Contains less than 2% of Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate (For Thickening), Mono- and Diglycerides (Prevent Foaming), Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Artificial Color, Bha (Preservative).

Now, compare it to the ingredients in this recipe. Discussion closed. Well, not quite shut tight. For me, a noteable exception to the use of Jell-O Instant Pudding is a refrigerator dessert that I have made sporatically since my grown kids were little. Now, it has also become a favorite of my son-in-law. There are exceptions. Let's be real here.   

Chocolate Banana Squash (or Pumpkin) Pudding

1-15 oz can pureed squash or pumpkin

2 ripe bananas (ripening increases sweetness) 

2 tbsp baking cocoa

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Whirl all ingredients in a blender.

For sheer enjoyment, here's a You Tube video of a 1950s T.V. commercial advertising Jell-O instant pudding as a "busy day dessert."