Dessert & Baked Goods › Indian Pudding

Serves 12

Preparation time start to finish: 2 hours (30 minutes active)

• 7 cups milk, divided as 6 cups and 1 cup
• 1 cup molasses
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ½ stick (4 tbsp) butter
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¾ tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup cornmeal
• non-stick cooking spray

Special Equipment

• 9" x 13" baking dish
• 6-8 quart Dutch oven

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Rinse a large pot with cold water (to keep milk from sticking while heating)
3. Lightly coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray
4. In a 6-8-quart Dutch oven or large pot, combine 6 cups of the milk, molasses, sugar, butter, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place the pot over medium heat. Scald the milk by heating it until it is just about to boil. The milk will appear curdled; this is normal
5. Add butter and whisk thoroughly
6. In a medium bowl (or large measuring cup), mix together the remaining 1 cup of milk and the cornmeal. Whisk thoroughly and add to large pot
7. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or rubber spatula, for 20 minutes, or until nicely thickened. Be certain to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking
8. Bake, microwave or slow cook to finish - see following options:

Cooking Options

A) Bake

1. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 2 hours or until the pudding is set at the center. It may puff during baking, but will flatten while cooling
2. Let cool slightly before serving

B) Microwave

1. The pudding can be finished in the microwave for an English-style hasty pudding. After the 20 minutes of stove-top cooking, transfer the mixture to a 3-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Microwave on high for 3 minutes
2. Stir the pudding, and start the microwave on high another 3 minutes. Do this 2 more times, cooking the pudding for a total of 12 minutes. If the pudding splatters during cooking, it can be loosely covered with a paper plate

C) Slow Cook

1. Add to a crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with whipped cream or ice cream for dessert
• Serve with milk for a hearty breakfast