Creamy Vanilla Pudding
Vanilla Pudding
Equipment
- 2 Large Bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring Equipment (Cup/Tablespoon/Teaspoon/Scale)
- Sauce Pan
- Large Spoon
- Metal Strainer (optional)
- 4 Pudding Containers
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Whole Milk
- 15 Grams Cornstarch (2 Tablespoons)
- 67 Grams White Granulated Sugar (1/3 Cup)
- 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 30 Grams Unsalted Butter
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the milk with the cornstarch and set aside.
- In a second separate bowl, slightly beat the egg yolks and then set aside.
- In saucepan, mix the sugar and salt. Gradually stir in the rest of the milk while cooking over medium heat.
- Stir or whisk continuously until the mixture begins to boil and thicken. Over medium heat this should take about 10 minutes.
- Let boil for 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat. Whisk in half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Stir the eggs yolks mixture back into the saucepan and the rest of the mixture.
- Optionally, you can use a metal strainer with fine holes to help filter out any egg whites as you are returning the mixture back to the saucepan.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan.
- Restart the heat and boil for another minute. Make sure to whisk continuously. The pudding will thicken up quite a bit during this stage.
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the butter and vanilla. Whisk well to incorporate.
- Pour into pudding dishes or whatever vessel you desire. The pudding will still be very hot, so make sure the containers are heat resent. Tempered glass works very well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow it to chill and set.
Notes
Making This Pudding Even Better!
There is nothing wrong with this recipe, but there are a few tweaks that can take this up a notch. So, if you want go from awesome to really flipping awesome, here’s how you do it.
Number 01 – Eggs
Don’t skip the optional step of straining the egg yolks back into the sauce pan. No matter how good you are at separating eggs, there is always a little white left in there. They will cook instantly when you add the hot mixture from the saucepan into little rubbery bits, not unlike a piece of scrambled egg. While it won’t harm you or even throw off the taste, there is just something unsettling about these chunks you end up with. Pudding is suppose be creamy and smooth.
Number 02 – Milk
Swap out your whole milk for heavy cream. I use one cup heavy cream and one cup whole milk. The results are much creamier and richer pudding. You will taste the difference.
Since we’re on the subject of milk, do NOT use skim milk or any kind of fat-free milk. The pudding will not come together and you’ll end up with a soupy mess at the end.
Number 03 – Vanilla
If you’re making your own vanilla extract, you can kick up the vanilla taste by fishing out a few of the vanilla beans and scraping the insides out. You’ll get a paste that is just pure vanilla awesomeness!
This will mean that your pudding will have little black specks throughout it. You might have this before if you’re had really premium vanilla ice cream. This is a great indication that the food producer is using really vanilla in the product.
In other words, don’t try to hide this or think that it has made your homemade product less appealing. Quite the opposite. This is a badge of honor. Wear it proudly.
Instantly Bad?
I’m not going to crap all over instant pudding. I get it. It’s super fast and easy to make and sometimes that’s just what you need. There’s nothing wrong with that. That being said, it’s nice to have the option of making something that is going to taste better.
The other thing is, it damn near impossible to get instant pudding in Japan. You can find some importers, but you will spend about $20 a box. That is just ridiculous. At that price it’s just stupid. Making your own is your only option.
Since pudding is a major ingredient in Dirt Cake, this is the way to go.
- Dirt Cake (recipe coming soon)
It’s pudding time, children!