VANILLA PUDDING

Vanilla Pudding image

If you can start with truly natural dairy - definitely not ultrapasteurized and ideally bought from a farm or a farmers' market- you are really ahead of the game. Real vanilla beans also make a palpable difference. I have stopped making vanilla pudding with vanilla extract. Although the flavor of extract is perfectly acceptable, when the dominant flavor is vanilla, you can really taste the difference if you start with a good bean.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories dessert

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (optional)

Steps:

Put 2 cups of half-and-half or milk, sugar and salt in a small or medium saucepot over medium-low heat. If using a vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into milk or half-and-half using small sharp knife, then add pod. Cook just until mixture begins to steam.
Combine cornstarch and remaining milk or half-and-half in a bowl and blend; there should be no lumps. Fish pod from pot and discard. Add cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to thicken and barely reaches a boil, about 5 minutes. Immediately reduce heat to very low and stir for 5 minutes or so until thick. Stir in butter and vanilla extract, if using.
Pour mixture into a 1-quart dish or 4 to 6 small ramekins or bowls. Put plastic wrap directly on the pudding to prevent formation of a skin, or do not cover if you like skin. Refrigerate until chilled, and serve within a day, with whipped cream if you like. Whisk to remove lumps if needed.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 352, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 45 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 136 milligrams, Sugar 40 grams