Cooking For Engineers

[ZenMonkey]

I've been experimenting with this pudding recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mexican-Coffee-Pudding-with-Kahlua-Whipped-Cream-351251

(For a much more intense flavor I use 4 1/2 tbs of espresso powder and double the cinnamon; also the whipped cream is great with Bailey's instead of Kahlua.)

The first batch had a very nice texture. To counteract the added espresso, for the second batch I added some extra sugar; didn't measure but probably about 1/3 cup. I also boiled it for about three minutes instead of one. It came out much softer set than the first pudding.

Third batch, I added a measured 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, and went back to boiling it for only one minute as in the recipe. It came out even gooier than the first time (it will make a great dip for vanilla cookies).

I'm wondering whether the extra sugar is what's causing the problem. And to fix it, I'm guessing that I can just add some more cornstarch, but I have no idea how much. I don't like puddings that are too gelatinous either, so I'm figuring about one tablespoon more?

Thanks for any suggestions.