Hasty Pudding by Lynette Rohrer Shirk
Hasty pudding is a colonial American porridge that is made “hastily” in contrast to the time-intensive, elaborate steamed puddings from England. It also has loads of fiber and vitamins from the corn and dried fruit.
Serves 8
Serving Size 1½ cups
Calories: 680.77
Protein: 8.68 grams
Carbohydrates: 83.99 grams
Fiber: 4.03 grams
Fat: 36.05 grams
5 cups milk
½ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 teaspoon ground dry ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup raisins
1 cup cream
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9″ × 9″ baking pan and set aside.
Scald 1 cup of milk in a saucepan, add cornmeal, and stir over medium heat until it thickens. Remove from heat.
Add all the remaining ingredients except the cream and 1 cup milk, to the cooked cornmeal. Stir to combine and pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Pour the cream and 1 cup of milk over the top of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming during baking.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir the cream and milk on top into the pudding and bake for 30 minutes more.
The Native American Influence
Native Americans introduced colonial settlers to corn, squash, beans, and peppers. Hasty pudding was a common dish when time and ingredients were scarce. Fortunately, all the ingredients can be found in modern supermarkets, and you won't have to do without the sweetness of cinnamon as you might have had to three centuries ago.
