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1
Place the chocolate, sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir often until the butter and chocolate have melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 6 minutes.
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2
Meanwhile, place the half-and-half in a medium bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface.
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3
Let stand without disturbing until the gelatin softens, about 3 minutes (it will start to look wavy and wrinkled).
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4
Slowly whisk the gelatin mixture into the chocolate mixture and whisk continuously until smooth and incorporated.
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5
Heat, whisking frequently and checking the temperature occasionally on an instant-read thermometer, until the gelatin dissolves and no longer feels grainy, about 10 minutes.
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6
(Do not let the mixture boil or go above 170 degrees F, or the gelatin will not set properly.)
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7
Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the vanilla.
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8
Remove the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and cover the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam from the hot mixture to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off).
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9
Blend until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely incorporated, about 15 to 30 seconds.
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10
Divide the mixture among the pop molds and freeze until frozen, about 3 hours.
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11
Alternatively, to serve as pudding, divide the mixture among ramekins and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.
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12
(To avoid the skin that forms on the surface of pudding, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and make sure its directly touching the pudding.)
