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New England Indian pudding
Slow-baked cornmeal, milk and molasses pudding
Indian pudding is the old colonial dessert of Massachusetts and Connecticut, still on the menu at historic Boston taverns and at autumn church suppers. Cornmeal, then called Indian meal, is cooked in milk with molasses, ginger and cinnamon and baked very slowly until it turns dark, soft and spoonable, a bit like a spiced polenta custard. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream melting on top. Chef's tip: pour cold milk over the top halfway through baking; it makes the soft, whey-like layer the dish is known for.
- Total time
- 165 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups whole milkdivided
- 2 ⅛ oz yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 ¾ oz soft brown sugar
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 1 eggbeaten
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional)to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 300°F (275°F fan) and butter a 1.5 litre baking dish. Bring 750 ml of the 3 ¼ cups whole milk almost to the boil in a saucepan.
5 minStep 2: Whisk in the 2 ⅛ oz yellow cornmeal slowly and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until thick like porridge.
10 minStep 3: Take off the heat and beat in the ½ cup molasses, 1 ¾ oz soft brown sugar, 1 ⅜ oz butter, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg and ½ tsp salt, then the 1 egg.
3 minStep 4: Pour into the dish and bake for 1 hour. Pour the remaining cold 1 cup whole milk over the top without stirring and bake for another 1½ hours.
150 minStep 5: It is ready when the edges are set and dark brown and the centre still wobbles slightly. A common mistake is serving it straight away; rest it 20 minutes so it firms up. Serve warm with 6 scoops vanilla ice cream.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does new England Indian pudding take?
- About 165 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of soft brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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