A Simple, Creamy Vanilla Pudding Recipe

I know, pudding is traditionally all about chocolate. Sometimes butterscotch or caramel. But if you, like me, are a fan of good, pure vanilla – you might even have a vanilla bean kicking around, waiting to be made good use of – you’ll adore this creamy pudding. It’s like pastry cream you get to eat an entire bowl of – the essence of sweet comfort food. And it’s so easy to make from scratch – there’s no need to open a box.

This would make great use of those vanilla beans you’ve been hoarding – if you want to use a bean, split it in half lengthwise with the tip of a sharp knife, and scrape out the seeds with the blade. Drop them into your pudding mixture as it starts cooking, and tuck the rest of the pod into a jar – fill it with sugar and you’ll have lovely vanilla-infused sugar for your next batch.

Creamy Vanilla Pudding

1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the egg yolks, then the milk and place over medium heat. Cook, whisking often, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Once it has bubbled for a full minute, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and vanilla. Stir until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Pour into individual bowls and set aside to cool slightly before eating warm. If you like, chill until set in the fridge, with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding if you want to prevent a “skin” from forming. Serves 4-6.

 http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/04/20/creamy-vanilla-pudding-recipe/