Homemade vanilla pudding: A simple delight from scratch
Although it often appears as one of the layers in cakes, pudding can be a standalone dessert in its own right, especially when you make it yourself.
Making homemade pudding is not only simple but also quick. Our mothers and grandmothers knew this well, as they could not rely on the wide range of ready-made mixes we have today. Instead, they used milk, egg yolks, butter, and potato starch. Sometimes they added cocoa, sometimes vanilla sugar, or for a more luxurious version, dark, aromatic seeds scraped from a vanilla pod. It's a dessert that always brought smiles, with bowls licked clean.
Recipe for homemade pudding
You might wonder why complicate things when you can choose from a variety of powdered puddings. However, it's not a complication at all because homemade pudding is easy to prepare and uses ingredients most people already have at home.
My family loves this simple dessert, and I happily make vanilla pudding for a snack. Starch acts as a thickener, and egg yolks help achieve a smooth consistency. Add something to sweeten it and, of course, milk. Those with allergies can opt for a plant-based milk alternative. This dessert takes you back in time and brings sweet memories of snacks at grandma's.
Ingredients:
- 500 mL of milk,
- 1 teaspoon of butter,
- 3 tablespoons of potato starch,
- 2 egg yolks,
- 3 tablespoons of vanilla sugar or 3 tablespoons of white sugar and seeds from a vanilla pod.
Instructions:
- Pour half of the milk into a pot and bring to a boil with the butter.
- Mix the remaining milk well with the egg yolks, sugar, and starch. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your preference.
- Pour the starch mixture into the hot milk and cook the entire mixture over low heat until it thickens. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
- Divide the prepared pudding into servings by pouring into cups or bowls.
Vanilla pudding tastes best when warm or chilled in the refrigerator. You can additionally garnish it with fresh fruits, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, or fruit sauce. In my house, we often use homemade raspberry syrup. Homemade pudding also works well as a base for cream in many cakes, such as no-bake banana toffee. Enjoy!
