Nourishments—

Pudding Provides A Soft Landing After A Hard Day

By Nancy K. Crevier

When cold winter days get hard to swallow, thick stews fragrant with gentle herbs, mashed and pureed vegetables, and creamy soups cling to the ribs and soothe the spirit. But for me, it is the promise of a smooth custard slipping off of the spoon and over my tongue at the end of the meal that casts a spell of comfort.

Now, I do realize that pudding falls into numerous and confusing categories, but I am talking about the sweet, dessert custard served warm or cold, not a pudding made of suet and innards baked inside of entrails. (I fail to see the comfort in that.)

One of my earliest culinary experiences was that of making the instant pudding for dessert. Balanced on a chair, I was tall enough to pour the box of powdered mix into the bowl with the carefully measured milk, and hold the rotary beater firmly in place to beat, beat, beat the combination until the powder dissolved into a thick, glossy puree. Chilled in the refrigerator, the pudding was perfectly set by the time dinner ended. We tended to rotate between chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch flavors, but in a pinch, we were not opposed to combining any of the two in order to stretch the quantity.

As I became more interested in cooking, I ventured into making cooked pudding. When not over- or under-heated, the final product, we all agreed, was far superior to instant pudding. Of course, there was always the debate over whether or not to settle plastic on top of the cooked pudding to prevent the formation of “skin.”

That was before I had ever heard of mousse, the melt-in-the mouth confection of eggs and cream lightened with meringue. And once I’d had mousse, well, goodbye instant pudding.

But mousse was before crème brulee was on my radar. The quivering, fragile egg custard topped with a glaze of burnt sugar made me swoon. Now I could never eat mousse and be satisfied.

Then somewhere along the way, I encountered rice pudding and Indian pudding, and found my way back home to the basics. I can still lose my head over a perfect brulee or a silken mousse, but when it is heartfelt comfort I am seeking, it is the simplicity of a rustic pudding that fits the bill — especially that of a vanilla pudding thickly studded with grains of toothsome rice, or Indian pudding, the granular cornmeal submerged in a spiced custard, the sweet scent of molasses swirling up from the bowl.

Homemade puddings can be a source that nourishes not only your psyche, but the body, as well. Low-fat milk provides calcium, and eggs provide protein. Depending on the type of pudding you make, one serving can provide anywhere from 5 to 15 percent of the daily requirement for calcium. A molasses sweetened pudding throws in a bit of iron, too. (Let’s not forget, though, that this is a dessert, so regardless of whether a pudding is sweetened with sugar, maple syrup, honey, or molasses, there is going to be a generous amount of  sugar in the final product; remember: moderation….) 

Put on your fuzzy slippers, stoke up the fire in the fireplace, and settle in. Served warm, topped with a spoonful of honey-sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream, pudding is the perfect ending to any winter day.

In touting the benefits of dairy products, the Fairfield County Farm Bureau published this pudding recipe in 1936, which was picked up and printed in the Feb 7, 1936 issue of The Newtown Bee. How good is it? Try it and see.

½ C molasses

¼ C melted butter

1 egg

½ C milk

1 C seedless raisins

1½ C graham flour*

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

Mix melted butter, molasses, and well-beaten egg. Add sifted dry ingredients, and lastly, raisins. Steam in a greased mold for 2½ hours.

(*Graham flour is a special whole wheat flour that can be difficult to find. It is sometimes available in natural food stores. Try 2/3  C white flour plus 1/3  C wheat bran plus 1 ½ tsp wheat germ per cup of graham flour as a substitute. Whole wheat flour can be substituted as well, but with rather different texture resulting.)

Serve with sauce:

1 Tbs cornstarch

½ C sugar

1Cc boiling water

¼ C butter

2 Tbs lemon juice

Grated peel of a lemon

Pinch each salt and nutmeg

Mix cornstarch and sugar with one cup boiling water. Boil five minutes. Take from fire and add ¼ cup butter, 2 Tbs lemon juice, salt, lemon peel, and nutmeg.

This recipe is simple, and makes great use of that bit of leftover rice from last night’s dinner.

Brown Rice Pudding

2 C cooked, short grain brown rice

3 eggs, separated

3 C whole milk

1/3  C honey

¼ C raisins

½ tsp vanilla

½ tsp cinnamon

Whisk egg yolks and milk in medium sauce pot until well blended. Whisk in honey, then stir in raisins, rice, vanilla, and cinnamon. Bring  mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, for ½ to ¾ hour.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites until they form a firm peak. When pudding is thickened, cool for 10 minutes. Fold in egg whites.

Serve topped with whipped cream or cinnamon ice cream.