apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Remember those Jell-O pudding cups with the peel-back lids? (Lids that HAD to be licked first, before digging into the pudding cup, we might add.)

These are the grownup, fresh-food version of those pudding cups. But they're no less appealing and frankly, they're not a lot harder than those plastic-wrapped types. Plus everyone gets to top their own however they want!

Here's what we did to make our own pudding cup bar:

• Made a big pot of DIY Pudding. This is an easy stovetop affair involving just whole milk, cornstarch, a little sugar and vanilla. We added some lemon zest and juice after it thickened. Then we let it chill.
• We sliced up fruit: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and bananas.
• We also offered cinnamon almonds for a crunchy topping.

Then everyone filled up small cups with pudding and layered it with the fruit and nuts. It was still just slightly warm, soft and delicious. It's also so easy; you can do this ahead then either layer the fruit in glasses for your guests or let them do it themselves like at our dinner party.

You could also make a chocolate version like this:

• DIY Chocolate Pudding
• DIY Hot Fudge Sauce
• Add in some whipped cream, crushed toasted walnuts and chopped dark cherries and you have a really decadent dessert.

And, as you can see below, even without a peel-off lid to lick these were still big hits with the kids.

Related: Recipe: Spiced Cream and Plum Verrines

(Images: Faith Hopler)