Kitchen: Indian Summer Pudding

Indian Summer Pudding

I was in the mood for apple crisp the other night, but it was still kind of hot...like over 100°.  I also had wanted to see what I could do with my Mom's recipe for Malt-o-Meal with added beaten egg, brown sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla beaten into it.  This, Indian Summer Pudding was the result.

I used Organic Blue Cornmeal for the base.  It makes a lovely lavender color when prepared.

I was lucky to find this at Sprouts...keeps in freezer!

This dish is best eaten soon after making...

• 1/2 cup blue cornmeal (fine ground) 
• 1 TB ground flax seed (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup water
• one large beaten egg
• 1 TB Sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
• 1 TB butter
• 1 tsp high-grade vanilla
• milk to thin--if needed
• 
  

bring water to the boil...add a pinch of salt if you wish, but it is not necessary.  While stirring with a whisk, slowly add the cornmeal.  If it gets too thick to stir, you can add more water or milk. (Make sure you have  all ingredients right next to the stove--you don't want to leave the pan--you need to continue stirring or pull it off the stove.)
Reduce heat to low...whisk in beaten egg.  This will "fluff" the mixture a little.  When the egg is "cooked" you can turn the heat off and add vanilla, sugar (or agave or your choice of sweetener), and butter.  You want a thick paste that will "set up".  If it is too thin it won't act like a "crust". (It will still taste ok though.)

Lightly butter a casserole or deep dish pie plate.  Smooth the mixture over the bottom.

The "filling" is really a quick fruit compote that I serve with pork or chicken.  You can substitute any fruits and nuts that you prefer.  This is what I usually use.

• 1 can sliced peaches packed in pear juice. (You will use the juice from the can, pears might work with this, too.)

a couple of handfuls of dried fruits and nuts, including  

• raisins (golden or otherwise, or currents)
• dried Montmorency cherries
• dried blueberries
• dried cranberries
• raw almonds
• raw pepitas

add spices to taste:

• cinnamon (alone) OR with
• a little ground clove (very little or one whole clove)
• allspice
• 1 tsp vanilla (after away from heat)

Heat the peaches, dried fruits and nuts, and spices, until the fruits and nuts are plumped...stirring as needed over a low heat. (It will burn if you leave it too long)

When the fruit is plumped, remove from heat and allow to cool.  The mixture should be much thicker.

The topping I used was 

• 2% Fage plain Greek Yogurt with a little 
• agave syrup to sweeten.  (Add to your taste...or leave it plain--it's good that way, too.) 
• 1 tsp vanilla

you might use almond flavoring or even cherry.

This didn't take very much time...and my husband LOVED it!!  I managed to get one serving of this, my son didn't get any.  My husband had seconds and then took the balance in his lunch the next day. 

This is the kind of recipe that you use what you have on hand, and what you like.  There is nothing "exact" about it.  I liked that I could put in the ground flax seed--and my husband didn't balk a bit.  You could easily sneak in all kinds of healthy additions--wheat germ, etc.  Just don't overpower it.

The colors and flavors remind me of an Indian Summer

Let me know if you try this and what fruits and nuts you used!