Homemade Vanilla Bean Pudding
Do you hate school projects as much as Kent and I do? If you read this, Megan, we're sorry…
You see, our good friend, Meg, is our daughter's teacher this year. There aren't many projects, really there aren't, but we just can't stand them. We don't have self-motivating get-it-done-on-their-own kinds of kids. These projects become ours too, and it's time consuming! (Later it's always fun to find out what grade we got, though.)
The latest project is a state report, and our 4th grader picked Colorado, which is good since we just went there last summer. Part of the deal is that we have to come up with a recipe from that state and bring in samples to share. After much online research, I still didn't have a clue what Colorado was ‘known for', and decided to just think of something that would be easy to share on the big day. I thought vanilla pudding sounded good, so I searched for ‘Vanilla Bean Colorado' and found out there's an organic vanilla bean company there. BINGO. It's a stretch, but whatever.
Plus Megan loves vanilla anything, so I knew that would seal the grade. Ha!
Thankfully this homemade vanilla bean pudding turned out really good and it was a hit! Since then I've made this when I have a craving for creme brule but don't feel like making it, this is easier and satisfies the craving nicely, and with less sugar–throw a few fresh berries on top and you're in heaven!
Homemade Vanilla Bean Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk, read about healthy milk choices
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise (or 1 Tablespoon organic vanilla extract)
- 3/4 cup sugar, I use regular organic cane sugar or coconut sugar — NOTE: coconut/palm sugar will make the pudding a light brown color, not the creamy color you're used to with vanilla pudding.
- 4 Tablespoons organic cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons colostrum, for extra nutrition to boost gut health and your immune system (optional)
- 1 cup cream, best from cows on pasture
- 2 large egg yolks, best from pastured hens
- 4 teaspoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup , optional
Instructions
- Pour milk in a medium, heavy saucepan, not Teflon, but you knew I'd say that. Scrape seeds from the vanilla bean; add seeds and bean to the milk. Keep stirring and bring it almost to a boil on medium heat, being careful not to burn it. Remove from heat.
- Combine sugar, cornstarch, optional colostrum, and salt in a large bowl, and stir well. In another bowl combine cream and egg yolks, stirring well. Stir egg yolk mixture into sugar mixture. Very slowly while whisking add a couple ladels full of the hot milk into the sugar mixture, then gradually add all of that back in with the rest of the milk. (You just have to go slow as you mix the two or the eggs will cook and get clumpy), keep stirring constantly with a whisk. Add maple syrup for extra flavor yumminess if desired. Bring it almost to a boil again and keep stirring. Once it begins to thicken, cook for another minute. Remove from heat. Add butter (and vanilla extract if that's what you're using), stirring until melted. Remove vanilla bean and discard.
- Spoon pudding into bowls. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap if you don't like the ‘pudding skin' that forms on top. (Or keep whisking as it cools and then that film won't develop.) Chill well and serve with fresh berries and/or real whipped cream for extra deliciousness!
Also, for more homemade pudding ideas, check out the comments section at this pudding comparisons post.
Note that your pudding will have a darker color like this if you use coconut/palm sugar:
More you might like:
Melissa @ Dyno-mom says
Oh! I mentioned this to my husband who reminded me of the dish “Chile Colorado” which has been eaten in Colorado for hundreds of years! Our first bishop came from France to Colorado when there were only furrier’s and saloons here. He started as a parochial vicar for the diocese of New Mexico. He grew chiles specifically to enjoy this dish. I should put a recipe for it on my own Blog!
KitchenKop says
I actually saw some of these ideas (for chile pepper dishes) online in my search, but couldn’t think of anything that was good to share…
DUH, I should’ve done salsa!
Kelly
Melissa @ Dyno-mom says
You could always do it another time! LF salsa? That would be great!
Melissa @ Dyno-mom says
Mexico stretched up into southern Colorado until the Mexican-American war. There are some awesome local variations of traditional Mexican foods. In the fall, there are vendors selling fresh hatch chiles which they roast on demand on Federal Blvd. They use blow-torches and giant bingo looking rotating bins. It is my FAVORITE time of the year!
Donna H. says
How about a good old Denver omelet? Yummy with organic eggs, organic cream, organic veggies, cooked in awesome organic butter! Oh yum!
Robin says
D’oh! smh, can’t believe I didn’t think of that! That would be perfect actually.
Beth says
I was just thinking a few minutes before reading this that I was wanting some Sunday pudding! This looks delicious.
Soli @ I Believe in Butter says
Hey that is a pretty good way to work things! But I imagine the kids would have screamed in terror had the oysters come in to the picture. 😉
Robin says
Yeah, Colorado doesn’t really have it’s “own” cuisine, that would be hard. We do produce good honey (I know there is one brand for sure you can get on amazon, my sister found it), and we do get some amazing peaches in the summertime. Also game meat, mentioned above…really not sure what I would have done!
I do LOVE homemade pudding, though. I’ve made it several times when I’ve had extra milk to use up, my favorite is probably butterscotch (which uses brown sugar), yummmm……
Mindy @ Too Many Jars in My Kitchen! says
Hmm…that’s a bit of a stumper and I’ve now lived in Colorado for almost 8 years. The only possibility I can think of is game meat, such as elk. You can find that around quite a bit, especially in the mountain towns. I think here in Boulder, where I live, we tend to be known for the many organic restaurants we have. But that’s still not a specific recipe you could make! I hope your vanilla bean pudding makes the grade!
reb says
you should google “rocky mountain oysters.” i think that’s what clinton had when he came here to denver. 🙂
Robin says
hahahaha!!!! that was my first thought as well…;-)
KitchenKop says
Hey, why didn’t I think of that?!!! LOL!!
Kel
margaret says
Yum, yum! Our vet always keeps the “rocky mountain oysters” after he’s been at my parents’ farm in the fall visiting the bull calves. He and his buddies make either the famous stew or they grill the goodies.
Melissa B. says
That was my first thought too! ICK!