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Best-Ever Vanilla Pudding
As a member of the Cookbook Challenge community I've pledged to cook 6-9 recipes that I already own. I'm excited to participate because I have recipes torn out of magazines & clipped on Pinterest that are more than 5+ years old I've been meaning to try, but always pass over to make my old stand-bys.
For February I'm a day late for Valentine's Day with this Best-Ever Vanilla Pudding recipe I tore out of the February 2014 issue of Better Homes & Gardens SEVEN years ago! I found the link by googling the recipe name while I was creating this post.
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background image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
1. This made so many dirty dishes! A teaspoon, tablespoon, butter knife, whisk, ladle, 1 cup dry measuring cup, 2 cup liquid measuring cup, saucepan, 1 small mixing bowl, and 6 ramekins.
2. Despite the dirty dishes drudgery I have to look forward too, this WAS worth it! So creamy, rich, and decadent! My immediate thought was "WTF have I been eating all my life if THIS is vanilla pudding?!"
For February I'm a day late for Valentine's Day with this Best-Ever Vanilla Pudding recipe I tore out of the February 2014 issue of Better Homes & Gardens SEVEN years ago! I found the link by googling the recipe name while I was creating this post.
cookbook_challengebackground image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 cups half-and-half or whole milk
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla or vanilla bean paste
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Heart Shaped Sprinkles (optional)
Directions:
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 cups half-and-half or whole milk
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla or vanilla bean paste
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Heart Shaped Sprinkles (optional)
Directions:
1. In a medium heavy saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Add half-and-half. Cook and gently stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
2. Remove 1 cup of the half-and-half mixture and gradually stir it into the egg yolks.
3. Slowly whisk tempered egg yolk mixture back into half-and-half mixture in the saucepan. Bring back to a gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in butter, vanilla, and sea salt. Pour pudding into 6 individual serving bowls. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Let stand 45 minutes; serve warm or chill up to 24 hours before serving.
5. Top pudding with heart shaped candies before serving, if desired.
Substitutions I Made:
1. I mixed heavy whipping cream & 2% milk 50/50 because that's what I had on hand and it was a good way to use up leftover heavy whipping cream.
2. I skipped the plastic wrap step. I don't really mind the ultrafine skin that formed at the top as it cooled. Others might, so if you're worried about it, do follow that part of the recipe.
3. I don't really like candy sprinkles & definitely am not making a grocery store run for them right now. We had some leftover fresh blueberries, raspberries, & blackberries - I mushed those up with some sugar and added a dollop of those on top instead.
Conclusions:
2. Remove 1 cup of the half-and-half mixture and gradually stir it into the egg yolks.
3. Slowly whisk tempered egg yolk mixture back into half-and-half mixture in the saucepan. Bring back to a gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in butter, vanilla, and sea salt. Pour pudding into 6 individual serving bowls. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Let stand 45 minutes; serve warm or chill up to 24 hours before serving.
5. Top pudding with heart shaped candies before serving, if desired.
Substitutions I Made:
1. I mixed heavy whipping cream & 2% milk 50/50 because that's what I had on hand and it was a good way to use up leftover heavy whipping cream.
2. I skipped the plastic wrap step. I don't really mind the ultrafine skin that formed at the top as it cooled. Others might, so if you're worried about it, do follow that part of the recipe.
3. I don't really like candy sprinkles & definitely am not making a grocery store run for them right now. We had some leftover fresh blueberries, raspberries, & blackberries - I mushed those up with some sugar and added a dollop of those on top instead.
My photo 1st vs. pro-photo from the BHG website 2nd
Conclusions:
2. Despite the dirty dishes drudgery I have to look forward too, this WAS worth it! So creamy, rich, and decadent! My immediate thought was "WTF have I been eating all my life if THIS is vanilla pudding?!"