Easy Vanilla Pudding from Scratch

Throw those instant boxes away because pudding is so much easier to make than you would think. It takes only a few ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge and in your pantry, and with only a little extra effort, you’ll have an all-natural dessert that tastes better than what you can buy in a store.
I made a vanilla pudding today, but it’s almost as easy to make chocolate, or any other flavor. I used those cute little amaretti cookies from Italy in the red bag, but it’s taken me years to find them in a local store, so you can use any cookie you would like: vanilla wafers, Oreos, etc.

Vanilla Pudding

2 cups milk
1/2 cup organic sugar or granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
4 tablespoons corn starch
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
cookies, crumbled for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk almost to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk sugar and egg yolks in a large glass bowl until pale yellow, smooth, and falling in ribbons. Whisk in corn starch until smooth.
2. Whisk in hot milk, a half a cup at a time until mixture is warm to the touch. Pour entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk constantly until pudding starts to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Pull off the heat and add in vanilla. Pass through a strainer, if you think the pudding looks lumpy (that could be a sign that the eggs cooked quickly). Pour into a bowl or into individual cups. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2010/10/25/easy-vanilla-pudding-from-scratch/