1. Almond Vanilla Pudding

"Life is a pudding full of plums."- W. S. Gilbert

It is quite an irony that the first post in this blog is not necessarily one that requires baking. One of my best loved pudding recipes (which I may post later on), goes for the steaming technique to get the perfect results. I have to figure out how to eliminate the special steaming equipment and the hour long waiting to make it a baking friendly recipe. Meanwhile, here is the Vanilla Pudding- a basic custard recipe cooked on the stove top. This is a light creamy pudding served as dessert after a heavy Christmas Dinner. It’s easy to put together at the last moment and you can still have a sweet end to dinner without feeling guilty of the calories. The pudding can also be used as a custard base for Fruit Salads.The original recipe calls for an additional egg yolk which I have eliminated as a matter of personal taste.

Almond Vanilla Pudding

(Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking.com)
 Serves 8

Egg mixture

1/3 cup (65 g) granulated white sugar

¼ cup (30 g) corn flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 medium eggs

½ cup (120 ml) full fat milk (3.5 %)

Hot milk mixture

3 cups (720 ml) milk

¼ cup (50 g) sugar

Final ingredients

1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish

Almonds & Cherries

1. Whisk together the sugar, cornflour, salt and eggs in a large heat resistant glass bowl. Add milk to this and set aside the egg mixture.

2. Wash a heavy bottom saucepan under cold water and keep on stove at medium heat. Pour milk into it, add sugar and keep stirring now and then to prevent milk from scorching. When just boiled remove from heat (look out for the tiny bubbles that forms all around the periphery).

3. Pour hot milk to egg mixture slowly, whisking constantly to make a smooth pudding without lumps.

4. Transfer the pudding to a clean heavy bottom saucepan. Cook over medium- low heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens.

5. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and the vanilla extract. Pour through strainer to remove any lumps .

6. Pour into serving dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for at least 4 hours or overnight .

7. Top it with cherries and coarsely chopped almonds.