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Title: Indian Pudding with Pears and Ginger - Hudson Valley Than
Categories: Dessert Pudding Holiday
Yield: 12 Servings

CORNBREAD
3/4cButtermilk
3/4cCorn meal
1cAll-purpose flour
1/2cSugar
1 1/2tsBaking powder
1tsGround cinnamon
1/2tsGround ginger
1/2tsSalt
1 Stick (4 oz) unsalted butter ;melted and cooled
1/2cSour cream
1 Extra-large egg; lightly beaten
PUDDING
6cMilk
1/4cFresh ginger; thinly sliced
2tbFresh ginger; thinly sliced ;in addition
8 Extra-large eggs
12 Extra-large egg yolks
1cUnsulphured molasses
2lgRipe pears; such as Anjou or Comice; peeled, cored, and cut
  Butterscotch sauce (see recipe)

: Make the cornbread: preheat the oven to 375 F degrees. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk and cornmeal; let stand for five minutes. In another bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.

: In a small bowl, whisk the butter with the sour cream and eggs and stir into the cornmeal mixture. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then unmold to cool completely. Cut 3/4 of the cornbread into 1-inch dice; let dry. (You can snack on the rest.) Put the cornbread in a food processor; pulse until fine. (Make Ahead: the cornbread crumbs can be made up to 3 days ahead.)

Make the Pudding:

: Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Generously butter twelve 1-cup ramekins and set them in a large roasting pan.

: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and ginger and bring to a boil. Removed from the heat and let steep, covered, for ten minutes.

: Put the cornbread in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the whole eggs with the egg yolks and molasses. Bring the milk back to a boil and slowly whisk it into the eggs. Strain the custard over the cornbread and stir well. Add the diced pears to the ramekins and spoon the custard on top. Pour enough hot water into the pan to reach 1/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.

Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for about one hour, or until the puddings are set. (Make Ahead: the puddings can be refrigerated for one day. Bring to room temperature and rewarm in a water bath in a 300 degrees F oven, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. [That's the puddings covered with foil, not the oven. :)])

: Run a thin knife around the puddings and invert them onto plates. Spoon the Butterscotch Sauce on top and serve.

Chef Waldy Malouf, in November, 1996 "Food and Wine". "A Hudson Valley Thanksgiving". Typos by Jeff Pruett. From: Jeff Pruett Date: 11-10-96 Cooking

From: Dale Shipp Date: 11-01-97 (00:10) The Once And Future Legend (1) Cooking

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