Vanilla Pudding

By lorik

Sweet, simple, creamy, and delicious, there are few things better than this old-fashioned vanilla pudding.

Makes 8 servings (about 4 cups)
Total time: 35 minutes + steeping & chilling

Ingredients

• COMBINE:
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• WHISK:
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Combine milk and cream in a large saucepan. Split vanilla bean and
scrape inside into milk mixture along with vanilla bean.

Heat mixture over medium until it steams. Off heat, cover and steep
mixture 1 hour; chill until cold, about 2 hours.

Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt into chilled milk mixture until all
lumps dissolve, then whisk in the egg yolks until incorporated.

Heat mixture over medium, whisking constantly, until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. When the whisk leaves trails in the pudding, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Whisk in vanilla extract (the pudding may seem thin but will thicken as it chills), then let pudding cool 10 minutes. Press plastic wrap over surface and chill pudding until completely cold. For the creamiest pudding, whisk or beat it with a hand mixer 30 seconds to 1 minute just before serving. Store pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Per serving: 362 cal; 26g total fat (16g sat); 181mg chol; 126mg sodium; 28g carb; 0g fiber

Flavor Variations:
Pistachio: Steep milk and cream with 1 cup chopped, raw pistachios; cook
according to recipe, page 43. After straining, omit vanilla extract, discard pistachios, and stir in 2–3 drops liquid green food color if desired.

Dark Chocolate: Increase whole milk to 4 cups. Decrease cream to 1 cup. Increase sugar to 1 1/4 cups. Decrease cornstarch to 3 Tbsp. and egg yolks to 3. Add 3 Tbsp. sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. Cook mixture according to recipe, page 43. Strain pudding over 8 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate and let stand 5 minutes. Stir pudding until chocolate is incorporated.

Milk Chocolate: Cook pudding according to recipe, page 43. Strain
pudding over 8 oz. chopped milk chocolate and let stand 5 minutes.
Stir pudding until all chocolate is incorporated.

Bourbon: Brown 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large sauté pan over medium
heat until brown flecks appear. Add to milk-cream mixture and cook
according to recipe, page 43. After straining pudding, stir in 3 Tbsp. bourbon and only 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.