Vanillepudding (vanilla pudding)
A classic stovetop vanilla pudding thickened with cornstarch, a real vanilla pod split and infused into the hot milk rather than vanilla extract stirred in at the end, which gives a rounder, less one-note vanilla flavour throughout. Tempering the cornstarch slurry into the hot milk gradually, not all at once, is what keeps the pudding smooth instead of lumpy.
Prep10 min
Cook10 min
Rest30 min
Servings4
Christoph's vanilla pudding, a real vanilla pod infused into the milk for a rounder flavour than extract alone.
Ingredients
Written for a 2 L pot
Units
Temperature
Servings
Pudding
- 500 ml milk rounded
- 1 vanilla pod, split and scraped rounded
- 60 g sugar rounded
- 25 g cornstarch rounded
- 50 ml cold milk, for the slurry rounded
- 1 g fine salt rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Heat the milk, vanilla pod and scraped seeds, sugar and salt in a pot until just below a simmer. Let infuse for 5 minutes off the heat.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the cold milk until completely smooth, with no lumps.
- Bring the vanilla milk back to a bare simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry gradually, not all at once, while whisking constantly.
- Simmer for about 2 minutes, whisking, until visibly thickened and holding its shape when a spoon is drawn through it.
- Remove the vanilla pod. Pour into bowls or glasses. Let cool for 10 minutes, then chill for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Infuse a real vanilla pod rather than adding extract at the end. Steeping the pod and scraped seeds in the hot milk draws out a rounder, more layered vanilla flavour than stirring extract into the finished pudding.
- Add the cornstarch slurry gradually, whisking constantly. Pouring it all in at once overwhelms the liquid before it can distribute evenly, leaving lumps that never fully smooth out.
- Simmer just long enough to thicken, not longer. Overcooked cornstarch-thickened pudding can start to thin back out or turn gluey.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge; press plastic wrap directly onto the surface while it cools to stop a skin from forming, if you don’t want one.
Ingredient substitutions
- A real vanilla pod is worth using here since the flavour carries the whole dish; if unavailable, use good vanilla extract added at the very end instead of infused.
- A layer of fruit compote at the bottom of the serving glass is a classic way to serve this.
- A pinch of ground cinnamon in the milk is a simple variation.
From Christoph Mayer