This is a chocolate pudding frosting recipe that's time-tested and it passed with flying colors. It's proof that pudding doesn't only belong in dessert cups.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING FROSTING

* (1) 4 ounce package of Pudding Mix, any flavor but if you use chocolate use dark.
* 1 1/4 Cup Milk
* 1/2 Cup Butter
* 1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
* 1 Cup Confectioners Sugar, sifted
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1 teaspoon Salt

Cook the Pudding according to the package direction using 1 1/4 cups Milk.

Cover with wax paper or cling wrap and cool to room temperature.

Cream the Butter, Sugar and Shortening until light and fluffy.

Stir in Vanilla and Salt.

Gradually beat in the Pudding.

It makes enough for the top and sides of (2) 9-inch layers.

Chocolate Cream:

Soak a box of gelatine in half a pint of cold water for two hours. Put one quart of milk in the double-boiler, and place on the fire. Shave two ounces of Walter Baker & Co.'s Premium No. 1 Chocolate, and put it in a small pan with four tablespoonfuls of sugar and two of boiling water.

Stir over a hot fire until smooth and glossy, and then stir into the hot milk. Beat the yolks of five eggs with half a cupful of sugar. Add to the gelatine, and stir the mixture into the hot milk.

Cook three minutes longer, stirring all the while. On taking from the fire, add two teaspoonfuls of vanilla and half a saltspoonful of salt.

Strain, and pour into moulds that have been rinsed in cold water. Set away to harden, and serve with sugar and cream.

Chocolate Novelty Items:

Everything's a chocolate novelty item.

If you think of it, it's probably available as a luscious, creamy smooth chocolate-y confection. If it's not, it either should be or soon will be.

Animal lover? Have a chocolate mousse moose. Bug lover? Chomp a chocolate cricket (made of chocolate, not chocolate covered). Gung-ho gambler? Grab a handful of chocolate casino chips. Love to send greeting cards? Send those best regards in a solid chocolate greeting card.

Are you a serious snacker or know one? If potato chips are a weakness, they'll flip for chocolate covered potato chips. Hot and spicy honchos will go loco over chocolate hot pepper treats. It seems like more ways are discovered each day to enjoy chocolate in unique and different ways. Do not say it can not be done because that is when you will probably find it out of the blue!

Chocolate novelty items of all kinds make excellent fundraisers for private clubs and organizations. Your garden club could offer chocolate roses, the school marching band may sell chocolate musical instruments and the hot rod club might appreciate chocolate wrenches! Plain chocolate bars are unexciting and uninspired so why not give them what they really love that is chocolate too?

Even better, most companies who haven't thought of your favorite are just waiting to hear your suggestion. Make yours today and start loving chocolate your way!