Who needs pumpkin spice when you can have spiced pumpkin pudding?
Spiced Pumpkin Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/4 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Whisk eggs yolks together in a small bowl; set aside.
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In 2-quart saucepan, whisk both sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
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Slowly whisk in milk.
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Place pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and simmers but doesn’t reach a full boil. (You’ll see a good amount of steam; remove before it bubbles.)
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Gradually whisk at least half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks.
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Add the egg and milk mixture to the remaining hot mixture in saucepan, whisking constantly.
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Bring to a boil, continuing to whisk for approximately 1 minute or until thickened.
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Remove from heat.
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Stir in pumpkin, butter, and vanilla until butter melts.
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Pour pudding into medium-sized bowl.
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Cover with plastic wrap (making sure it is flat against the pudding) and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.
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Makes 2 cups, approximately 4 or 5 servings.
Notes
Some facts about pumpkins and me:
- I am not a pumpkin spice fan.
- I do like the spices used with pumpkin but don’t get excited for the onslaught of pumpkin spice in stores and restaurants.
- I love pumpkin.
- I almost always use canned pumpkin, as I’ve seen numerous chefs explain its not worth the effort to start with a fresh pumpkin.
- The majority of my pumpkin cooking takes place in the fall.
Item number five always astounds me. It’s one of those things that I know about myself and my cooking habits but also that makes me think, “Huh?”
If the pumpkin I use is canned, then why don’t I cook or bake with it during the rest of the year? That is a very good question. I easily can explain away summer. Pumpkin seems too heavy, too warm in the midst of the summer. But what about winter and spring? I think part of it is that December is wrapped up in Christmas and New Year’s, which have their own set of ingredients and recipes. The next thing I know, it’s January, and it’s time for new dishes. Maybe?
I guess I’m more a creature of habit than I’d like to think. Pumpkin time is fall. Period.
However, there’s more to it than that. When it’s just the two of us in our empty nest, I’m the only one who really enjoys pumpkin. Of course, I could make treats just for me, but it’s also fun to move onto other ingredients.
Thus, we have our answer. Between the lack of pumpkin fans and changing of the seasons, even canned pumpkin has a season in my home. And really, that’s ok. It’s kind of fun to know that October will come around, and it will be time to create something pumpkin-centric once again.
