Vanilla Pudding

This recipe comes from a pretty handy book to have around the house. It's the Reader's Digest, "Homemade: How to make hundreds of everyday products fast, fresh, and more naturally." It's handy because not only does this book have food recipes in it for a variety of yummy things, but it also has recipes for things such as Pet Foods, Cleaning Supplies, Gardening, and Health and Beauty related products. You can order your own book HERE! It also gives you a chance to "Look Inside."

Look how festive this vanilla pudding looks!

The first time I ever made this pudding, I was trying to make my famous E'claire dessert (not posted on this blog... yet). The recipe calls for a couple packets of pudding, but I realized that I didn't buy the right kind of pudding. I was in a panic because the dessert needs a few hours to sit and become crazy delicious. I didn't have time to run to the store, so I popped open this book and found the recipe. It saved me. I actually managed to pull of the dessert (yay for avoiding disasters!). After I was done making the dessert, I tasted this pudding and have been thinking ever since that I should make the dessert using this pudding recipe. The pudding just tastes so much better than the store bought stuff.

This recipe is by far not as fast as the "Just add Milk" variety that Jello puts out, but in my opinion, it's definitely tastier! My plan for this specific batch is to eat a little and let my little one "Paint" with it. Doesn't that sound like a fun activity? My Significant Other is dying to "Paint" with the youngster as well!

Anyways... The recipe:

Vanilla Pudding (page 208)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
2 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used more than this, probably closer to 2-3 teaspoons)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth. Over moderate heat, cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it boils and thickens; reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat.
2. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, beat the egg until it is foamy. Gradually stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture. Stirring constantly, pour the egg back into the remaining hot milk mixture. Cook over low heat stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the butter and vanilla. Immediately pour the pudding into a large serving bowl or individual dessert dishes. Let the pudding cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.