Dairy Free Indian Pudding

 

My little corner of Nevada has been experiencing quite a few rain showers lately, the benefit of a little El Nino off the Pacific coast.  It’s been so delightful to hear the sound of water in our rain gutters, and the musical tapping of drops against the window.  Hunkering down in the house with a hot beverage needed one more item to make the days marvelously complete – pudding!

Indian Pudding was probably Hasty Pudding back in Britain, but the early immigrants didn’t quite have all the necessary ingredients.  Corn flour was easily attainable so wheat flour was replaced and Indian Pudding was born.  My version revises the recipe again to a non-dairy version.  Enjoy!

1/4 cup Coconut Spread (found near the butter in health food stores)
4 cups plain unsweetened Almond Milk
1 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch
3/4 cup medium coarse Cornmeal (I found mine in the bulk food bins at Whole Foods)
1/3 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Molasses
1 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Egg Yolks
non-dairy Whipped Topping (we used a coconut brand)

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F and prepare an 8x8x8 pan with either some of your coconut spread or cooking spray making sure to coat all the inner sides of the pan.

While it’s heating melt the coconut spread in a medium stock pot over medium high heat.  Coconut spread won’t brown exactly like butter, but if you watch close, when it really starts bubbling it will take on a slightly tan coloration.  So after about 5 mins when that tan color appears, add the almond milk and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat to medium and slowly add in the cornmeal stirring constantly.  Make sure the cornmeal doesn’t lump up but is evenly distributed.  In order for this recipe to set up remove about a 1/4 cup of this hot mixture and stir your cornstarch in stirring well.  Return this 1/4 cup mixture to the hot almond milk making sure no lumps are formed.  Let this simmer while the rest of the pudding is prepared.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, molasses, pumpkin pie spice and egg yolks.  With a strong whisk stir this mixture until smooth.  The molasses will prove quite stubborn during this process but whip it into submission – you can do it!

Now it’s time to incorporate the two parts of the pudding but to insure we don’t make scrambled eggs begin by slowly adding about a cup of the hot mixture into the bowl.  Stir constantly while you do this.  Then add a 2nd cup, again slowly stirring constantly.  Once fully mixed in pour the mixture in the bowl into the hot mixture on the stove – again slowly, stirring constantly.  Allow this to come back up to a simmer.

Pour the hot cornmeal mixture into your prepared pan and bake for about an hour and a half.  Check the doneness by gently nudging the pan.  The pudding should move only slightly.  When ready remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack till about room temperature then place in the refridgerator for a couple hours.  Serve with whipped topping.  So yummy!