Groundhog Day Pudding Cups

Hilarious cookie groundhogs popping
up to celebrate the day❣

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened regular or dark cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk (or almond milk)
3 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup graham cracker or chocolate cookie crumbs

6 oval or groundhog shaped cookies*

12 candy eyes or white chocolate chips**

24 white candy sprinkles

2 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips

toothpick

Method:

Combine cocoa, sugar, salt, cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually blend milk into dry ingredients, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until filling boils. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; blend in butter and vanilla. Divide the pudding evenly between 6 small dessert cups. (about 3/4 cup capacity) Sprinkle the cookie crumbs over the top of each portion, completely covering the pudding. Place in the refrigerator for i hour or longer to set. While the pudding sets, decorate the cookies ~ Melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Use a toothpick to spread a dab of chocolate onto the backs of the candy eyes and attach two to each cookie. Use the toothpick to paint chocolate whiskers and ears on the groundhog cookies. Paint a mouth on each cookie and arrange 4 sprinkles on the chocolate to make the teeth. Just before serving, press a cookie into each pudding cup. Makes 6 fun servings.

*I didn't have time to bake cookies, so I used Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies, but any oval shaped cookie will work. If you find a groundhog cookie cutter, you can make sugar or gingerbread cookie groundhogs.

**If you do not have candy eyes, you can use white chocolate chips. Use the toothpick to dot the center of the white chocolate with a tiny speck of the melted chocolate.

Notes: 

Homemade pudding is tasty and quick to make, but store bought pudding may be used. 

 My husband and I came up with this fun idea for groundhog day ~ everyone we served them to smiled!