Molasses Cornmeal Pudding Recipes

CORNMEAL-MOLASSES PUDDING

Steps:

• Scald the milk and butter in a large pot. Alternatively, you can heat the milk and butter for four minutes on high heat in the microwave, until it is very hot. Then transfer it to a pot on the stove. Keep hot over medium heat.
• Preheat the oven to 250°F.
• In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, and salt. Stir in molasses. Thin the mixture with about 1/2 cup of scalded milk, a few tablespoons at a time, then gradually add the mixture back to the large pot of scalded milk. Cook, stirring until thickened.
• Temper the eggs by slowly adding a half cup of the hot milk cornmeal mixture to the beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture back in with the hot milk cornmeal mixture, stir to combine. Stir in the sugar and spices, until smooth. At this point, if the mixture is clumpy, you can run it through a blender to smooth it out. Stir in the raisins (optional). Pour into a 2 1/2 quart shallow casserole dish. Bake for 2 hours at 250°F.
• Let the pudding cool for at least fifteen minutes, then serve using a large serving spoon. Top with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

INDIAN PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F. In a medium heavy stainless-steel saucepan, bring the milk, cream, molasses, and brown sugar almost to a simmer over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the milk mixture, whisking. Bring just to a simmer, whisking. Pour into an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. The batter will be thin and shallow.
• Bake the pudding in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir well. Return the pudding to the oven and continue cooking for 20 minutes. The pudding will still be quite wobbly but will set as it cools. Let cool on a rack for 20 minutes and serve warm. Or cool completely and reheat the pudding in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes just before serving. Serve the pudding topped with the ice cream.
• Variations: Stir the pudding after it has baked for twenty minutes and then top it with one-third cup of chopped pecans or walnuts. Continue baking as directed for twenty minutes longer.

NEW ENGLAND CORN PUDDING (INDIAN PUDDING 1)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Lightly grease a 6 or 8 cup soufflé dish with butter.
• In a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat, scald the milk.
• While the milk is heating, pour the cream into a medium sized bowl and stir in the cornmeal, sugar, molasses, salt, and spices.
• Add the cornmeal mixture to the scalded milk and cook, whisking constantly over medium-low heat until the pudding has thickened to the consistency of syrup (about 5 minutes).
• Remove it from the heat.
• In a small bowl with a whisk, beat the eggs.
• Add 1/2 cup of the hot cornmeal mixture to the eggs while whisking rapidly.
• Then vigorously whisk the egg mixture back into the remaining cornmeal mixture.
• Add the butter and stir until it melts.
• Pour the pudding into the prepared baking dish, and place the dish in a shallow baking pan on the center oven rack.
• Pour enough hot water into the larger pan to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pudding baking dish.
• Bake the pudding until it is set and a tester inserted close to but not in the center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Remove the pudding from the water bath and cool slightly.
• Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or heavy cream spooned over the top.