Baked Indian Pudding with Vanilla Mousseline
Submitted by Bobbi Hill on May 11, 2009

Three hours in the oven and the right proportion of ingredients give this Indian pudding a lush, silken interior and a molasses colored top with a soft, supple chew. Extravagantly simple, the Vanilla Mousseline on top is as soft as a cloud

Servings:
8

Complexity:   
Medium

Total Time:
3 hrs:35 minutes

Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk
1 cup(5 oz) cornmeal, yellow or white
4 tbsp (2 oz) cold, unsalted butter, cut in pieces, plus 1 tbsp. for greasing baking dish and foil
1/2 cup light molasses
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. With the butter, grease a 2 quart baking dish or pudding mold and a piece of aluminum foil that will serve to cover the dish. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
2. Place the milk and cornmeal in a heavy-bottomed 2-3 quart saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and continue to whisk as the pudding simmers and thickens, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat;whisk in the butter piece by piece. Whisk in the molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and vanila. Ladle about a half cup of hot pudding int the beated eggs and stir to warm them. Pour the egg mixture back into the pudding vase and stir to incorporate.
3. Pour the hot pudding into the prepared baking dish or mold. Fit the foil over the pudding, buttered side down, or cover the mold with its lid. Place a large roasting pan in the oven-place the baking dish in it and pour the boiling water to come half way up the sides of the baking dish or mold. Bake the pudding for 3 hours, add water to the pan to maintain the same water level on sides of baking dish.
4. Cool the pudding 30 minutes before serving. If you have used a baking dish, cut or spoon the pudding into servings. If you have prepared the pudding the day before serving, you can reheat it in a 250 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. serve with Vanilla Mousseline. (see sauces)

Cook's Notes:
An elemental dessert, innocent of ingredient and impossible to resist.