Homemade Vanilla Pudding

This kid friendly treat is a delicious and versatile cream, and a key base ingredient for many cakes. The best vanilla pudding you can make at home! So much better than store-bought.

There’s nothing complicated about this recipe, and the results are delicious!

Tips to make a delicious Vanilla Pudding

Use the seeds scraped from a vanilla bean in place of extract vanilla for a better flavor;
Feel free to substitute half of milk for half-and-half or evaporated milk, for a richer pudding.

You can serve it on its own, or you can pair it with fruits, or whipped cream. It’s great ingredient for some cakes, for layered in a trifle.

INGREDIENTS

500 ml (2 cups) milk or
4 Tbsp corn starch
2 egg yolks
a pinch of salt
4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) sugar, or less, if desired
1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp of vanilla extract

METHOD

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk with the cornstarch, then whisk in the egg yolks. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, whisk together the remaining milk, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Do not let it boil!

3. As soon as milk comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, and gradually whisk in egg mixture, stirring quickly. Continue cooking and stirring until pudding thickens. The pudding has thickened but still pourable, it will thicken more as it cools.

4. Remove from the heat, and add the vanilla.Transfer the pudding into a large bowl or into individual serving bowls. Cool until it is lukewarm, then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or until chilled.

Note: If you use vanilla bean instead of extract of vanilla: Split it lengthwise down the middle using a sharp paring knife. Gently scrape out the seeds from the top down to the other end. Add the seeds of the vanilla bean and the vanilla bean pod to milk, salt and sugar mixture. As soon as the milk comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and carefully remove the vanilla bean pod (see step 2).

Enjoy!

My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever. - George R.R. Martin