Ginger Milk Pudding

Here's a fun dessert for everyone to try.  It's a unique "pudding" made with 3 simple ingredients - milk, sugar, and freshly squeezed ginger juice.  Just combine them and wait about 15 minutes for the magic to happen.  You'll know it's ready when you can balance a small spoon on the surface.  Kind of a cool party trick to entertain your friends and family.  I hope you'll give it a try.

In order to get the ginger juice out of the ginger, you have to grate it.  You can do this using a ginger grater (shown above), a microplane, or the sides of a box grater.  

It's not necessary to peel the ginger, but you can if you want to.  Try using the edge of a spoon to scrape the thin skin from the ginger root.  A vegetable peeler will work too, but it will remove more than just the skin. 

If you use a ginger grater, you'll notice some of the juice collects in the dish.

But I find you can get a lot more ginger juice if you place the pulp in a garlic press or squeeze it between layers of cheesecloth.

Measure 2 teaspoons of the freshly squeezed ginger juice per dessert bowl and set aside for later.

In the meantime, gently heat the milk and sugar together over medium heat until it reaches 165F.   Turn off the heat, but don't pour the milk into the dessert cups yet...

Stir the ginger juice to redistribute the starch granules that have settled to the bottom of the bowls.

Immediately pour half of the heated milk and sugar mixture into each bowl and DON'T STIR.  Just let the bowls sit, undisturbed, for about 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes have passed, the pudding should have set and you should be able to balance a small demitasse spoon on the surface.  Serve warm, at room temperature, or chill for several hours for a slightly firmer texture.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• ceramic ginger grater https://amzn.to/3Xn2ivw

• box grater https://amzn.to/3Xo4XoA

• garlic press https://amzn.to/3PqEepB

• cheese cloth https://amzn.to/3NJMJd1

• small demitasse spoons https://amzn.to/46dTrjE

• heavy bottom saucepan (I used this one) https://amzn.to/42VssGU

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Ginger Milk Pudding Curd

makes 2 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole milk (milk substitutes won't work)

• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

• 4 teaspoons fresh ginger juice (from a 6-inch piece of fresh, mature ginger)

Directions

1. Peel and grate ginger on a ginger grater, microplane, or the small holes of a box grater.

2. Squeeze juice from grated ginger by pressing in a garlic press or pinch it between layers of cheesecloth; measure 2 teaspoons of ginger juice into two 4 to 5-ounce dessert cups.

3. Place milk and sugar in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan and stir to dissolve sugar; heat mixture to 165F.

4. Immediately remove milk from heat.

5. Wait - before adding hot milk to ginger juice, stir the ginger juice in each dessert cup to redistribute starch granules have settled to the bottom; immediately pour half the milk mixture into each cup. DO NOT STIR!!!

6. Wait at least 15 minutes for pudding to set before trying to balance a demitasse spoon on the surface of the pudding.

Note

• For a slightly firmer texture, chill the pudding for several hours after it sets.

Roasted Banana Pudding

My daughter's best friend is bananas for bananas so I was eager to give this recipe from The Complete Cook's Country TV Show Cookbook a try.  It's amazing how much roasting the bananas intensifies their flavor.  The original recipe is assembled in a trifle bowl, but I simplified the presentation by serving mine in mini glass pie plates.  The pudding can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge if wrapped well with plastic wrap, which should touch the surface of the pudding.  Just before serving, garnish with vanilla wafers and freshly whipped cream that's been lightly sweetened with sugar and pure vanilla extract.  You might also garnish with a few slices of banana.  Banana chips might be a nice addition.

Note: Use slightly underripe bananas for this recipe.  

If you have overripe bananas to use, check out the recipe for my  To Die For Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• mini pie plates https://amzn.to/33U4nHX

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3nZ4jgX

• heavy bottom saucepan https://amzn.to/3NvO6LG

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3zGWYZ7

• my food processor https://amzn.to/3Dv4Eid

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Roasted Banana Pudding

makes 12 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 slightly underripe medium bananas (about 1 pound)

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

• 8 large egg yolks

• 6 tablespoons cornstarch

• 6 cups half-and-half

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• Garnish: vanilla wafers, whipped cream, and sliced bananas

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Roast bananas on a lined half sheet pan for about 20 minutes (the skins will turn completely black).

3. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar with the egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth; set aside.

4. In a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the half-and-half, remaining sugar, and salt to a simmer.

5. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot half-and-half mixture into the egg yolk mixture; whisk well to combine.

6. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan to combine with the remaining half-and-half mixture.

7. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and starts to bubble.

8. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and lemon juice.

9. Pour thickened pudding base into a large food processor and add the peeled roasted bananas; process until smooth.

10. Pour mixture into individual serving dishes and cover with plastic wrap being sure wrap touches pudding surface.

11. Chill completely before serving.

adapted from The Complete Cook's Country TV Show Cookbook