Indian Pudding: The First American Dessert
If there is one dessert that signifies the meeting of the Old World and the New and is truly one of the first American desserts, I would have to say that it is Indian pudding.
Indian pudding is a baked custard dessert made with all American and New England ingredients like cornmeal, molasses and maple syrup. A pudding was and is the traditional name for dessert in British English. Cornmeal use to be called “Indian flour” by the new settlers in America. Recipes for Indian pudding began appearing in American cookbooks as early as the 1700s.
I used this recipe from one of my favorite old cookbooks, the Heritage Cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens. I used brown sugar instead of white and added some extra spices. It has a delicious rich flavor that reminds me of pecan pie without the nuts 🙂 I hope you will give it a try!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
In a large bowl, combine egg, sugar, butter, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a saucepan combine milk and molasses.
Slowly stir the cornmeal into the milk and molasses.
Cook and stir until thick about 8 - 10 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Gradually stir hot cornmeal mixture into egg mixture.
Pour into a greased 1 quart casserole dish.
Bake, uncovered at 300 degrees about 1 1/2 hours until set.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, combine egg, sugar, butter, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a saucepan combine milk and molasses.
Slowly stir the cornmeal into the milk and molasses.
Cook and stir until thick about 8 - 10 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Gradually stir hot cornmeal mixture into egg mixture.
Pour into a greased 1 quart casserole dish.
Bake, uncovered at 300 degrees about 1 1/2 hours until set.
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