Craig Claiborn's Indian Pudding

This is traditionally served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Indian Pudding
Makes 8 servings

This warm and filling dessert is made ingredients that would be familiar to any early settler: cornmeal and molasses. It is a wonderful choice for a Sunday supper in the heart of winter.

• 4 cups whole milk


• 1/2 cup cornmeal


• 2/3 cups molasses


• 2 eggs, lightly beaten


• 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon

In Advance: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Butter a soufflé dish or pudding mold. Bring a kettle of water to a boil to make a hot water bath for steaming the pudding.

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cornmeal gradually, whisking constantly. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 5–10 minutes.


2. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the molasses. Allow it to cool slightly for about 5 minutes and then stir in the eggs and spices.


3. Pour this batter into a prepared dish and set it in a larger baking dish. Place the assembly on a rack in a preheated oven. Add enough boiling water to come up to the level of the pudding.


4. Bake for about two hours or until the pudding is firmly set. Allow the pudding to rest for 30 min. Serve while still warm.

Nutritional information per serving: 190 calories; 7 grams protein; 6 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 80 milligrams sodium; 85 milligrams cholesterol.

Preparation Notes:
If you prefer not to turn the oven on, this pudding can be steamed on top of the stove in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Set the soufflé dish on a trivet or inverted sauce plate. Cover the pudding dish tightly with foil, add enough boiling water to come up to the level of the pudding, and cover the pot. Steam over very low heat (use a heat diffuser if available) for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Serving Suggestions:
This pudding is creamy and satisfying as is, but it would be nice to serve a sauce made by simmering apple cider, raisins, and a little brown sugar. Other excellent accompaniments include whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.