Charlie's Vanilla Pudding

3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups whole milk or 2% milk

4 egg yolks, beaten

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in milk.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.  Gradually stir 1 cup of the milk mixture into egg yolks.

add egg mixture to milk mixture in saucepan.  Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and vanilla.  Pour pudding into a bowl.  Cover surface with plastic wrap.  Serve warm or cold.  (Do not stir while chilling)

**For Chocolate Pudding: Prepare as above, except add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder along with the sugar.  Decrease cornstarch to 2 tablespoons and milk to 2 2/3 cups.**