Coconut Ginger Pudding

This one got my vote at Herbs & Spices Night.  I loooooved it.  You know, ginger and coconut can both be strong flavors, and you don't want them too overpowering.  In this recipe, they are perfectly balanced - both present, neither too strong.  And, I mean, pudding is sooo good.  Everything is right about this treat.  Plus it's easy.  My favorite part of making pudding is stirring in the butter at the end.  Talk about oh-so-right...

Coconut Ginger Pudding (print recipe)

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1.  Bring the milk and ginger to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan, and immediately take the pan off the heat so that it doesn't boil over.  Let the ginger steep in the milk for 15 minutes, then pour the milk through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.

2.  In another small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and about 1/2 cup of the strained milk.  Add the sugar and cornstarch, and whisk until the mixture is smooth.  While whisking, slowly add the coconut milk and the rest of the milk.

3.  Return the mixture to the saucepan, and place the pan over medium heat.  Whisk constantly until the pudding begins to boil.  Continue whisking for 2 minutes.  Add the butter, and whisk until it is melted.

4.  Pour the pudding into a bowl, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap so a skin doesn't form.  Chill the pudding for at least 2 hours before serving.

Recipe from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons

1 year ago:  Derby Pie
2 years ago:  Garlic-Slathered Stretch Bread (a.k.a. Pizza Dippers)
3 years ago:  Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Topping

Nanaimo Bars

I have run into variations of this recipe here and there, and finally decided to try them. Yeah, OK, now I see why they're in so many books and magazines. Total sweet deliciousness. And not too much work or trouble. Bar cookies are awesome because you get like 3 dozen for not that much work.

The variation I chose comes from a Betty Crocker cookie magazine so of course it uses Betty Crocker cookie mix in the crust. A shameless marketing gimick, but sometimes I'm OK with that. These cookie mixes are available in most stores near me, so I assume they're near you too. They look like this:Now, what's up with the name? It's pronounced "na-NY-mo" and it's their city of origin in British Columbia, Canada. Reportedly these cookies were invented and named by an anonymous housewife who submitted the recipe to a magazine. According to my Field Guide to Cookies, the city is so proud of the bar that the town's mascot is a giant Nanaimo bar named - what else? - "Nanaimo Barney." (But I couldn't find a Google image of him so I have my doubts.)Nanaimo Bars
Cookie base:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker double chocolate chunk cookie mix
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup chopped nut topping or chopped walnuts
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
4 cups powdered sugar
4 T vanilla instant pudding mix
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk

Topping:
1 bag (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/4 cup butter

1. Heat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of 9x13 pan with foil, leaving foil hanging over 2 opposite sides of pan. In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until well mixed. Spread into pan; press lightly. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

2. In large bowl of electric mixer, stir together powdered sugar and pudding mix. Add 1/3 cup butter and the milk; beat with mixer on medium until smooth (filling will be very thick.) Spoon over cookie base; press evenly to cover. Refrigerate while making topping. *I found the filling so thick that I patted handfuls flat in my hands and laid them on the cookie base until it was mostly covered, then I evened it out with an offset spatula.

3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on HIGH 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Spread over filling. Refrigerate uncovered until set, about 30 minutes.

4. Use foil to lift bars from pan; pull foil from sides of bars. Cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in fridge.

Recipe from Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookies, December 2009

Monster Cupcakes

Heh heh heh - hello, my pretties and Happy Halloween!

I found these adorable cupcakes in Family Fun magazine like six months ago, and have been holding onto the idea until I could make them for Halloween. Then this week was like one of my busiest ever, but if I didn't get these made I'd have to wait until NEXT YEAR which is out of the question so I made them in parts throughout the week and put it all together for Hazel's preschool Halloween party (where I was gratified to see many kids choose them from the dessert spread, which included a ghost cookie graveyard and candy eyeballs!)

I'm not usually one to focus on decorations, but for Halloween I made a special exception. Stretched myself a bit, buying melting candy discs and black gel icing, but it was worth it - so adorable! If you don't know where to find mini M&M's, I found them in a plastic tube at the check-out stand at CVS and then later also saw them at a party store and dollar store.

Monster Cupcakes
2 dozen cupcakes from your favorite recipe (I did a straight-up devil's food cake mix)
3.4 oz box of vanilla instant pudding (or if you have time really do the cooked pudding - it tastes so much better! - or you could just do pistachio instead of coloring vanilla pudding green)
Green food coloring
1 cup green melting candy (like Wilton - you can get it at Michael's)
24 large marshmallows
Skewers or toothpicks
Waxed-paper-lined baking sheet
Mini M&M's
Melon baller
Chocolate frosting (store-bought or make your own buttercream)
Black gel icing
1. Bake and cool 2 dozen cupcakes. Prepare pudding. Stir in drops of food coloring until you have a shade you like, then place it in refrigerator to chill.

2. Microwave green melting candy for 1 minute at 50% power, then stir. If necessary, heat at 15-second intervals until completely melted. (Never having used these before, I was sloppy and over heated them the first time so I know now that's possible to do - just heat until melted and stir smooth.) One at a time, spear 24 marshmallows with skewer or toothpick and roll them in melted candy, coating the sides. Set them on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Add M&M's for eyes, and place in fridge to chill.3. Add black gel facial features on chilled and hardened marshmallows.
4. Using small serrated knife or melon baller, remove 1-inch-wide chunk from center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a tablespoon of pudding, then spread chocolate frosting around pudding hole. 5. Cover each pool of pudding with a chilled marshmallow. Top each monster head with a bit of frosting and muss with your finger or a fork. Keep cupcakes chilled until serving time.Recipe from Family Fun magazine

Chocolate Pudding

The other day I really wanted chocolate pudding. I wanted something a step or two beyond the box, but did not need the heavy-cream-and-5-egg-yolk stuff I found in some recipes. I just wanted chocolate pudding.

MyRecipes.com rarely fails me. I found a skim-milk-2-egg-yolk version that looked perfect. Hardly "light" but at least digestible. Plus it called for 5 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate so I took the opportunity to hit the fancy chocolate aisle and brought home some Ghiradelli and Perugina. The pudding was easy to make and the flavor could not be beat. In fact, it was still so rich we could only enjoy small servings, but then it actually lasted a few days! Sometimes there is just nothing like the creamy comfort of chocolate pudding.

2 1/2 cups fat-free milk, divided
1/3 cup sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

1. Place 2 cups milk in a medium heavy sauce pan; bring to a boil.

2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

3. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks, stirring well with a whisk. Add egg yolk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring well.

4. Gradually add half of hot milk to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.

5. Remove from heat. Add butter, vanilla, and chocolate, stirring until melted. Spoon pudding into a bowl. Place bowl in large ice-filled bowl for 15 minutes or until pudding is cool, stirring occasionally. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap; chill. Makes 6 (1/2 cup) servings
Recipe from Cooking Light, August 2006

Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding

If the mention of Magnolia Bakery doesn't get your saliva flowing, it's OK. It just means your life isn't complete yet. Though best known for their out-of-this-world cakes and cupcakes, the lines go down the street for their banana pudding as well. And now I know why. Close your eyes, open your mouth, and drift away into creamy banana heaven with every bite.

I told my friend about this recipe and she said she got the same recipe from a neighbor years ago, only she called it Banana Sin. Two sides of the same coin, my friends.

This recipe makes a massive amount - we estimated about 16 servings. So if you're making it for a regular group, go halvsies. Also, read ahead. It takes a minimum of 8 hours including chill time, 2 days if you stretch it out.

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
1 (3.4 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups heavy cream
1 (12 oz.) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)
4 cups sliced ripe bananas (about 6)

1. In a small bowl on the medium speed of electric mixer, beat together sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 more minutes. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

2. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.3. To assemble the dessert, select a large wide bowl, preferably glass so you can see the layers. Arrange 1/3 of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then 1/3 of the bananas and 1/3 of the pudding. Repeat layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or up to 8 hours but no longer, before serving.