Indian Pudding

Ingredients

• 6 cups milk 
• 0.5 cup butter (1 stick)
• 0.5 cup cornmeal yellow
• 0.3 cup flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 cup blackstrap molasses 
• 3  eggs beaten
• 0.3 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 1 cup golden raisins 
• 8 servings whipped cream 

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• whisk
• pot
• blender
• double boiler
• casserole dish
• stove
• microwave

Directions

1. Scald the milk and butter: Scald the milk and butter in a large double boiler. Or heat the milk and butter for 5 or 6 minutes on high heat in the microwave, until it is boiling, then transfer it to a pot on the stove. Keep hot on medium heat.
2. Preheat oven to 250°F.
3. Make cornmeal milk base: In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, and salt; stir in molasses. Thin the mixture with about 1/2 cup of scalded milk, a few tablespoons at a time, then gradually add the mixture back to the large pot of scalded milk. Cook, stirring until thickened.
4. Temper the eggs, combine with milk cornmeal mixture: Temper the eggs by slowly adding a half cup of the hot milk cornmeal mixture to the beaten eggs, whisking constantly.
5. Add the egg mixture back in with the hot milk cornmeal mixture, stir to combine.
6. Add sugar, spices, raisins if using: Stir in the sugar and spices, until smooth. At this point, if the mixture is clumpy, you can run it through a blender to smooth it out. Stir in the raisins (optional).
7. Pour into a 2 1/2 quart shallow casserole dish.
8. Bake for 2 hours at 250°F.
9. Cool for an hour: Allow the pudding to cool about an hour to be at its best. It should be reheated to warm temperature if it has been chilled.
10. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.