While my babes and I gobbled up some Sunday afternoon pudding, I started off on a mini-rant of curiosity about why more people don't make their own pudding from scratch. I understand the reasoning of convenience behind a lot of processed food items, but I'm sorry - instant pudding and pudding cups are not included.
Pudding is SO EASY to make from scratch, friends!
It takes less than 20 minutes, and involves little more than a bit of measuring and some stirring. You got this, believe me!
Brown Sugar Vanilla Pudding
adapted from Mark Bittman's Vanilla Pudding
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, but into cubes
- Combine 2 cups of the milk, sugar, salt, and scraped vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the milk starts to steam.
- While the pudding is heating, stir cornstarch into the remaining 1/2 cup milk until no clumps remain.
- Once the pudding is steaming, add the cornstarch mixture and stir to combine.
- Continue cooking the pudding, stirring constantly, until it has thickened. About 10 minutes.
- Place pudding in a tightly sealing container, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If you don't like a skin on your pudding, place some plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent the skin from forming.
- Pudding will keep for about a week in the fridge, but it will seep a little liquid after a few days. Just stir it back together before serving!