Recipe:It's Vanilla Pudding Day today - May 22nd.

Vanilla Pudding Day celebrated annually on May 22,is made with a handful of ingredients and a little stirring. You mix sugar, cornstarch, and a bit of salt, then whisk in milk and egg yolks. It cooks over medium heat, until thickened, then—off the heat—you stir in butter and vanilla extract.


History

Vanilla pudding has a very long history and he evolved from a meat or fish dish. Arabs had a pudding-like dish of rice and almonds, that could be traced to the 12th century, but it is believed that is had appeared even earlier. The recipe of this dish was translated and it appeared in medieval Europe. Over ages the dish evolved into French blancmange, that was enjoyed Europe's wealthy families.

 The original ingredients for blancmange were milk, sugar and shredded capon or fish. Later meat was dropped and blancmange evolved into a dessert made with milk and eggs. In the 19th century arrowroot and cornstarch were added to the dish, that made the modern pudding. Jelly-based pudding is the final stage of vanilla pudding development.

Jell-O launched the line of instant puddings in the 1950s and advertised this product as the busy-day dessert.

And if you want a special treat, pair pudding with chocolate or fresh fruit.

                                
Recipe

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 3/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup half-and-half 2 large egg yolks 4 teaspoons butter

Directions:

Place milk in a medium, heavy saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add seeds and bean to milk. Bring to a boil.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well. Combine half-and-half and egg yolks, stirring well. Stir egg yolk mixture into sugar mixture. Gradually add half of hot milk to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Return hot milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until melted. Remove vanilla bean; discard.

Spoon pudding into a bowl. Place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 15 minutes or until pudding cools, stirring occasionally. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap; chill. Peanut Butter Pudding Variation: Omit vanilla bean, salt, and butter; stir in 1/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter after custard is cooked. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup).

Coconut Pudding Variation: Omit vanilla bean. Omit 3/4 cup milk, and replace it with 3/4 cup light unsweetened coconut milk. Omit butter; stir in 1/2 cup toasted sweetened flaked coconut after pudding is cooked. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup).