Microwave Chocolate-Marshmallow Pudding

Super quick, super easy, rich and chocolate-y, and very inexpensive to make; this fun dessert will satisfy your chocolate craving for sure!! Equally delicious warm or cold, you can have this treat on the dinner table in no time.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
pinch salt
3 level tablespoons corn starch
2 cups milk (see note below)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups mini-marshmallows (optional)

In a large glass bowl, mix the brown sugar, cocoa, salt and corn starch. Slowly add the milk and mix well. At first the cocoa will sort of sit on top of the milk, but if you mix well with a whisk, it will mix together in a minute or so.

Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes. Carefully remove from microwave, and stir well (again with whisk).  Put it back in the microwave (one minute at a time...stirring well after each minute) until the pudding is shiny and thick.  My microwave took the initial 3 minutes, then 2 more (1 minute) intervals), but everyones microwave is different, so just mix it well after each interval and when it is shiny and thick, it's done.

After pudding is thick, stir in butter and vanilla and mini-marshmallows. The heat from the pudding will melt the marshmallows, so don't stir them too much (you want them to stay whole if possible).  Chill the pudding in dessert dishes.

NOTE: I like to use whole milk in this recipe, but I make it with 2% milk a lot too.

NOTE: Marshmallows totally optional.

NOTE: Don't microwave this pudding in a plastic bowl because the plastic gets hotter than the pudding for some reason; glass is the best.