Indian Pudding is the ultimate Yankee comfort food, made with few ingredients (if it calls for more than eight ingredients you don’t have the original version). The coming cool, crisp autumn weather makes me crave Indian Pudding. It’s very sweet, and reminiscent of gingerbread or pumpkin pie because of the molasses. You must serve it warm with plain vanilla ice cream, which stands as a great foil to the grainy sweetness. Many people serve this for Thanksgiving, thinking that the Indians brought it to the first feast with the Pilgrims. I doubt they had molasses, milk and butter, but I'm sure that they introduced cornmeal to the settlers at Plymouth. Perhaps they had a similar dish.
You may buy canned Indian Pudding by the Bar Harbor brand, carried in Hannaford’s and Shaw’s chains of supermarkets and some general stores around New England. I saw it on the shelves at LL Bean’s store in Freeport, Maine. You can also order it online at the Bar Harbor website http://barharbor.elsstore.com/ and also at www.amazon.com
Indian Pudding was made famous by the a line in the second
stanza of the song Yankee Doodle- “…and there we saw the men and boys as thick
as hasty pudding…” Maybe this is why Indian
Pudding used to be served at Harvard’s Hasty Pudding club? There are a few restaurants that still serve
this treat, but the list is shrinking every day since it is considered a bit
old fashioned and fuddy-duddy. Ask for
it often and maybe some places will bring it back to their menus!
Indian Pudding
from Fannie Farmer's Cookbook
4 cups of milk
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/ cup molasses
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Heat 2 cups of milk until very hot and pour it slowly over the cornmeal, stirring occasionally. Cook in a double boiler over simmering water for 10 - 15 minutes, until the cornmeal mixture is creamy. Add the remaining ingredient and mix well. Spoon into a buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Pour the remaining 2 cups of milk on top, set into a pan of hot water, and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours until set. The pudding will become firmer as it cools. Serve with heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.
Restaurants that
still serve Indian Pudding (sometimes only seasonally) Call
first!
Wayside Inn, in Sudbury, Massachusetts www.wayside.org
Village Restaurant, Essex, Massachusetts www.village-essex.com
Durgin Park, Anthony’s Pier 4, and Locke Ober in Boston,
Massachusetts
Summer Shack, Cambridge, Massachusetts (at the Boston
location, too?)
Verona, Watertown, Massachusetts
Publick House Inn, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Milepost, Duxbury, Massachusetts
Colonial Inn, Concord, Massachusetts
Indian Head Resort, Lincoln, New Hampshire
Bunten Farmhouse Kitchen, Orford, New Hampshire http://buntenfarm.com/index.shtml
Red Parka Pub, Glen, New Hampshire http://www.redparkapub.com
Aunt Carrie’s, Point Judith, Rhode Island http://www.auntcarriesri.com/
Maine Diner, Wells, Maine
www.mainediner.com
Blue Benn Diner, Bennington, Vermont
Bryant House, Weston, Vermont
Do you know other restaurants that serve Indian
Pudding? If so, please leave the name
and location in the comments.
Read from another blogger who loves Indian Pudding at this
link: http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2009/03/indian-pudding.html
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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo
Have just had a catch up of your blog ...that pudding sounds interesting ...would love to taste it. That flip pal looks amazing and that is a good tip about looking at the back os a memorial.Take Care.
ReplyDeleteDo we know of restaurants that serve Indian Pudding? NOOOOOOOO! I've never heard of this. Yankee's come up with the darndest things! LOL. The texture seems off. Is it like a sweetened corn mush? Do they put it in a pie shell like a filling? That may work. Ok, I'm actually going to try it. I have a brother who will eat anything, and I love new recipes.
ReplyDeleteThis county is so culturally interesting!
Kathleen, it is mushy AND grainy. It's hot served in a bowl with cream or ice cream. Beware- it is VERY SWEET!
ReplyDeleteI've had the Indian Pudding at Durgin Park -- really good!
ReplyDeleteI meant to say "this country is so culturally interesting."
ReplyDeleteSounds delish, Heather-- I am so going to try making this!
ReplyDelete