For many of us there's something about a cool, silky pudding that takes us back to childhood, when cravings were satisfied by familiar, delicious treats eaten at the kitchen table as an after-school snack. No matter where you grew up, directions for cooking some type of pudding were likely stuffed into the family recipe box.
Although the modern American interpretation of pudding refers generally to custard-style desserts, our pudding is a descendant of savory puddings from Roman times. As the years passed, many savory varieties emerged, but the common ingredient was often a cereal grain.
When the colonists came to America, they added New World staples, such as corn, to their puddings. Later, Americans used readily available ingredients, such as refined sugar, vanilla, and chocolate, to create decadent dessert variations, and the more old-fashioned and time-consuming savory puddings lost favor.
Although the term "pudding" is broad and encompasses a variety of both savory and sweet foods, we are focusing on custard-style desserts. Custards contain milk (or cream) bound by eggs, and they may be cooked gently on the stove top or baked slowly in the oven to achieve a silky consistency. Most versions contain starchy ingredients, such as cornstarch or flour, while others include rice, pasta, or bread as thickeners. A pudding can be eaten with a spoon, sliced like a loaf of bread, or cut like a piece of pie.
Evoke sweet memories—or create new ones—as you learn all the basics for perfect pudding.
Six Pudding Tips
Custard-style puddings use a variety of starches as thickeners. Each adds a unique flavor and texture to the dish. Follow this simple guide to avoid common pitfalls.
1. Eggs work in tandem with cornstarch to thicken puddings. Custard recipes often call for egg yolks because they possess thickening qualities and add rich flavor to the final dish. Since yolks add fat, they're a secondary thickener in our recipes.
2. Rice releases starch into the liquid as it cooks. Stirring the rice releases more starch and disperses it throughout the pudding.
3. Cornmeal thickens the Indian Pudding by slowly absorbing the liquid.
4. Cornstarch creates velvety-smooth puddings. In order to avoid lumps in the pudding, stir the cornstarch into the recipe's sugar. Although cornstarch begins to thicken the pudding just below the boiling point, be sure to cook another minute to eliminate any raw taste.
5. Tapioca comes from the cassava (or yuca) plant. These starchy pearls thicken puddings when cooked and stirred.
6. Bread soaks up the custard, thickening (along with the eggs) a bread pudding as it cooks.
