a perfect substitute for chocolate pudding

This is kind of a strange recipe.
Perhaps you won't think so -

1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 cup of flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of milk
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup boiling water
vanilla ice cream

Don't over bake these cakes. Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat for one minute in the microwave.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle and heat oven to 350.
Grease or spray 6 oven safe ramekins.

Whisk 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of cocoa and set aside.

Whisk flour, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, remaining 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk milk, butter, egg yolk, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.
Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined and then fold in chocolate chips.
Batter will be stiff.

Put 2 Tablespoons of batter in each dish.
Top with 2 Tablespoons of the cocoa mixture.
Put 2 tablespoons of boiling water on top of all of it.

Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until the tops are just cracked.

They are probably best eaten just after they come out of the oven.
Put a small scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center of each little cake and eat them out of the dish.

We've never had them right out of the oven - I've always made them ahead. They have been the one thing we've used our microwave for in six months. But they are well worth the radiation poisoning.
They have a gooey bit near the bottom, in the middle, that will renew your faith in...in...in, well, just about anything.

The great thing about recipes from Cooks Illustrated (this is actually from Cooks Country) is that you know they've tested the hell out of them. I've never had a problem with any of their stuff.

It's Monday, have some chocolate.