1/19/10

3 Think Outside the Box: Homemade Low-fat Vanilla Pudding

My long, lost college roommate from....uh...many moons ago just found me on FaceBook.  What fun it was to reconnect after all these years!  That first year of college was such a memorable one with 6 girls in one apartment.  Each of us took turns cooking a meal and we ate very, very well.

One of my roommates made pudding.  Pudding?  From a box?  Nope.  Pudding from scratch.  Huh?

Now, I consider my mom to be a great cook and baker, but I remember her cooking the pudding and that came from a box.  Now we have instant pudding.  All you have to do is add milk and it's ready in 5 minutes.

Have you looked at the ingredients for a box of pudding?  Can you pronounce them?  Do you know what's in it?  I don't.  But from what I can tell, it's got artificial color, flavor, and all that jazz.

I think it's time to make a pudding from scratch, don't you?  Come join me and let's see if it is easy as puddin' and pie...

In a heavy bottom saucepan, mix in sugar and cornstarch.

Stir in your milk.  Today, I am using skim milk.  Let's see if it works....

Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly...stir for 2 minutes and take the pan off the heat.

Here, I have already beaten 2 whole eggs, which are waiting in a bowl.

Now, carefully and gradually pour a cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, stirring while pouring.  This brings up the temperature of the cold eggs and reduces your chances of making scrambled egg pudding....

Now take the warmed up egg mixture and gradually pour it into the hot milk.  Stir briskly while pouring in the egg mixture.  Remember, no scrambled egg pudding!

Turn on your heat to medium and cook gently until your mixture begins to bubble.

You do NOT want a full, rolling boil.

Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes.


Remove from heat and add 1 Tablespoon of butter.


That's all the butter. No more, no less.


Stir it in till melted...

Add vanilla.  Not the imitation kind ~ the real stuff.


Once you try the real vanilla, you'll never go back...


Pour the pudding into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Push the plastic wrap down so it touches the pudding; this will prevent the pudding from forming a 'skin.'

I remember the 'skin' and pulling it off when I was a kid....


Chill for about 4 hours and what do you get?

The BEST vanilla pudding.  Ever.

Smooth, creamy, cold, delicious ~  full of natural goodness!


I already know what I'm going to do with this pudding.

So, think outside the box...

And make your own pudding today!


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Vanilla Pudding   
from Better Homes and Gardens 

INGREDIENTS

¾ c. granulated sugar
3 T. cornstarch (or 1/3 c. flour)
3 c. milk ( I used skim)
2 whole eggs, beaten
1 T. butter
1 ½ t. vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

In a heavy saucepan, stir sugar and cornstarch together.  Add milk and stir.  Cook over medium heat until bubbly.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat.
Gradually stir 1 c. of milk mixture into beaten eggs while stirring.
Gradually add egg mixture into hot milk while stirring.  Return to heat, cook and stir until bubbly; (do not boil) cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in butter.  Add vanilla.  Pour into a bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap, pushing wrap onto pudding.

Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.
Serves 6.

3 comments:

  1. Homemade pudding is worth the effort. Looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds wonderful! I don't think I've made homemade pudding for the kiddos yet, and I totally agree about serving them things with ingredients you can pronounce! I'll have to try this one soon!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the recipe! I have made my share of homemade chocolate puddings, but rarely vanilla. In fact, I don't think I have a recipe for it, so I will be saving this one. Vanilla is also a great base for experimentation, so I can't wait to see what I can stir up.

    ReplyDelete

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