CinnaMocha Fudge Pops

I did something kind of crazy.  I'm thinking about blaming it on the heat.  Or the fact that these days it doesn't get dark until 9 pm.  Or, you know, the whole "I love chocolate thing".  Or some combination of those three.  Regardless of the reason, I still did something a little, tad-bit crazy.  You see, I went and took this pudding recipe here and, ahem, poured it into some dollar store molds.  Yeah, I made FudgeSicles.  Except, I made the cinna-mocha-latte wonderful kind.

It just felt so right.  Pudding, popsicle molds, mini chocolate chips on top (if chocolate happens to be your thing or something...).  It was happy and summer and reminded me of the homemade pudding-pops of days long gone.  And then I ate one.  And it tasted just close enough to right that I skipped the length of my somewhat clean living room.  (Real world advice: skipping whilst holding a popsicle in your mouth is highly inadvisable.  Even more so when your popsicle molds produce slightly phallic popsicles like mine do.  Ok, the phallic-nature has nothing to do with safety.  It just had to be said.  Because you are thinking it.  And that's ok too, because that was my only thought the entire picture taking process... Anyways, back to the skipping...).  I skipped.  And I vowed to always have popsicles, fudge or any other variety, always in my freezer.  At least while 8 pm still has daylight.

CinnaMocha Fudge Pops
Adapted from a pudding from CL April 2012

The weird mouth-feel that my first go round with these had (in the warm pudding form) worked to our advantage once frozen.  Unfortunately, the freezing also seemed to do something with the espresso.  It lost is.  I would suggest doubling that (reflected below).  Also, 1/2 tablespoon is A LOT of cinnamon.  I'm cool with that.  If you're not, you've been warned...

1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg (large)
2 c. 2% milk
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. instant espresso granules
1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. unsalted butter 

In medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and egg.  Once egg is incorporated, continue to whisk in next 5 ingredients (through salt).  Once combined, put pan over medium high heat stirring consistently, for about 14 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate and whisk together until melted and smooth (and swoon-inducing!)  Whisk in vanilla and butter.  Let cool slightly.

Stand up Popsicle molds.  If you so desire, sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips in the ends, just for shits and giggles.  Pour in slightly cooled pudding.  For even more fun, sprinkle a few more mini chocolate chips in.  They will get melted and pushed deeper in by the stick.  ignore your desire to laugh inappropriately at the previous sentence.  Freeze until firm, unmold and enjoy!