Vanilla Pudding with Sauteed Pears

Serves: 4 / Hands-On Time: 20m / Total Time: 1hr 30m

Ingredients:

For The Pudding:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; plus 2 more tablespoons (unmelted) for the pears
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For The Sauteed Pears:

• 2 pears
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Make the pudding. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the whole milk and eggs until well blended. Over medium-high heat, heat the mixture to simmering, whisking constantly; cook for 1 minute.
2. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and melted butter. Pour into a shallow metal bowl and place waxed paper directly on the surface. Refrigerate to chill, about 1 hour.
3. Prepare the pears. Core and thinly slice the pears. In a skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
4. Saute the pears in the butter for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and cook, stirring, until the sugar turns golden. 3 minutes.
5. Spoon the pudding into cups and top with the warm pears; sprinkle with some ground cinnamon.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

This pudding can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. To chill, let cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Note: Using a cinnamon-raisin bread adds even more flavor to this chocolatey pudding.

Prep: 15 minutes / Total: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for baking dish
• 8 slices (8 ounces) cinnamon-raisin bread
• 2 cups milk
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 11-by-7-inch (or 9-inch square) baking dish; set aside. Toast bread (in the oven or toaster) until lightly crisped.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, chocolate, and butter; place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted, about 5 minutes.
3. Tear bread into large pieces (about 4 or 5 per slice); scatter evenly in prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Whisk in warm milk mixture until combined. Pour over bread.
4. Bake until pudding has puffed and is firm, about 25 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes, and dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Pretty Cherry Parfaits Recipe

4-6 Servings / Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant Vanilla pudding mix
• Whipped topping, sliced almonds and fresh mint, optional

Directions:

1. Combine pie filling and extract; set aside. In a large bowl, combine sour cream and milk. Stir in pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened.
2. Spoon half into parfait glasses; top with the pie filling. Repeat with remaining pudding mixture. Garnish with whipped topping, almonds and mint if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 276 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 283 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Mango Pudding (Mango Mousse with Sweetened Condensed Milk Chantilly)

Recipe: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 150 g evaporated milk, chilled
• Condensed milk chantilly (recipe follows)

Mango Puree:

• 500 g mango flesh from 4 mangoes, diced
• 80 ml water

Italian Meringue:

• 55 ml water
• 110 g sugar
• 2 egg whites

Sweetened Condensed Milk Chantilly:

• 250 ml thickened cream
• 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Method:

1. To make mango puree: Boil the diced mango and water with high heat for 10 minutes until the mixture thickened and resemble jam like texture.
2. Use a blender to puree it until smooth. Push it through a fine sieve to get rid of the fibre. Set aside to cool.
3. To make italian meringue: Add water and sugar in a saucepan, gently heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Turn up the heat and continue boiling until it reaches hard ball stage (128C).
4. Beat egg white with electric mixer until foamy. Set the electric mixer on slow setting, pour in the boiling sugar syrup in a slow and steady stream. Continue the beating until the mixture reaches room temperature. It will look shiny and smooth.
5. To make sweetened condensed milk chantilly: Beat cream and condensed milk together with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
6. To make mango mousse: Whip the chilled evaporated milk until foamy. Mix 100 g of Italian meringue with mango puree. Fold in whipped evaporated milk.
7. Divide the mousse in 4 dessert glasses. Chill in the fridge until set.
8. Serve with sweetened condensed milk chantilly.

Blackberry and Apple Yorkshire Pudding

Makes about 12 small puddings

Ingredients:

• 25 g butter
• 140 g golden caster sugar
• 4 apples (I used Bramley apples), peeled, cored, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 egg white
• 2 eggs
• 140 g plain flour
• 200 ml milk
• 150 g blackberries
• 2 tbsp oil

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Heat the butter and 100 g of the sugar in a pan, add the apples and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes until slightly caramelized and just starting to soften. Do not overcook them, they should stay quite firm with a bite left in them. Set aside.
3. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, then whisk in the rest of the sugar, the whole eggs, the flour and the milk. Stir the apples and the blackberries into the batter. Meanwhile add a splash of oil to each hole of your baking tin and place the tin in the oven over a high heat. The oil should be really hot before you pour the batter in.
4. Spoon a large ladleful of batter into each hole. Put the tin in the oven and leave for 15 minutes, without opening the door, until puffed up and golden. The secret here is not to open the door during the baking time, otherwise you loose the height.
5. Remove from the oven and carefully place each pudding onto a plate. You can serve immediately or leave them to cool down.

Cold & Creamy Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant pudding and pie filling
• 2 cups (1 pint) whipped cream, whipped*
• 36 vanilla wafers
• 3 medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water.
2. Add pudding mix and beat until well blended.
3. Chill 5 minutes in refrigerator.
4. Fold in whipped topping. (Do this slowly and as few times as you possible to combine, so the mixture will retain its thickness.)
5. Spoon 1 cup pudding mixture into 2 1/2 quart glass serving bowl.
6. Top with 1/3 each of wafers, bananas and pudding. Repeat twice.
7. Garnish as desired.
8. Chill thoroughly. Refrigerate any leftovers.

You can also layer in individual serving dishes.

Chocolate Pudding Parfaits

Make everybody happy with their own individual dreamy chocolate parfaits.

4 servings / Prep: 10 min (plus chilling) / Cook: 10 min

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 8 Oreo cookies, chopped

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the chocolate and cocoa powder and set aside.
2. In a medium, heavy saucepan, heat the half-and-half over medium-high heat until almost boiling (bubbles will form around edges).
3. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk half of the hot half-and-half into the egg mixture and then pour the mixture into the saucepan. Bring just to a boil over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbly and thickened, 1 minutes.
4. Pour the custard through a sieve into the reserved chocolate-cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly, then press plastic wrap onto the surface to cover; refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
5. Scoop the chocolate pudding into individual cups and top with the whipped cream and cookies.

Tip:

Double Duty: Turn the refrigerated custard into gelato - just pour into your ice-cream machine and churn.

VitaRecipe: Pumpkin Pudding VitaTops

Makes One Dozen 2-oz. VitaTops

Original VitaTop: 100 Calories, 4g fiber, 0g fat, As prepared below: 134 Calories, 5g fiber, 2g fat.

Ingredients:

• 12 RaisinBran VitaTops
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 pack of fat-free vanilla pudding (99g)
• 5 oz. Cool Whip Lite
• 1/8 cup finely chopped peacans

Instructions:

1. Place RaisinBran VitaTops in toaster or heat in the microwave for 20-25 seconds.
2. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin puree and vanilla pudding together.
3. Gently stir in Cool Whip Lite.
4. Spoon Pumpkin Pudding Mix on top of each RaisinBran VitaTop.
5. For the finishing touch, sprinkle finely chopped pecans over the VitaTops. Serve and enjoy!

Candy Corn Parfait Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 box of instant chocolate pudding (or homemade of course)
• 1 box French vanilla pudding (or regular vanilla)
• Cocoa Puffs
• whipped cream
• candy corn
• yellow gel color
• orange gel color
• Halloween sprinkles

Preparation:

1. Get all of the components ready. Make the chocolate and vanilla pudding. Divide the vanilla in half. If you are using French vanilla, it is already yellow, but if you are using plain vanilla, add a few drops of yellow to it. With the other half, use the orange food coloring to make it orange.
2. Layer the ingredients however you like. This is the order that I layered mine:

• Cocoa Puffs
• yellow pudding 
• whipped cream
• candy corn and Cocoa Puffs
• chocolate pudding
• orange pudding
• candy corn and Cocoa Puffs
• whipped cream, sprinkles, and a few candy corn for garnish

  3. Chill for about 3 minutes to an hour the puddings are set. I hope that you have a Happy Halloween!

Fruit-on-the-Bottom Tapioca Pudding

Yield: Makes 6 servings / Active Time: 15 min / Total Time: 40 min (includes chilling)

Beneath a creamy layer of tapioca pudding lurks a silky strawberry base. Ground fennel seeds perks up the flavor of the fruit.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup small tapioca peals
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons sugar, divded
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 quart strawberries, trimmed and coarsely chopped

Equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder or a mortar and pestle

Preparation:

1. Bring water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk in tapioca and simmer, uncovered, whisking occasionally, until tapioca is mostly opaque, about 15 minutes. Whisk in cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, whisking occasionally, until tapioca is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a metal bowl and cool completely in an ice bath, stirring frequently, 5 to 10 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, grind fennel seeds in grinder. Pulse strawberries in a food processor with fennel and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until coarsely pureed. Divided among (6-ounce) glasses.
3. Spoon tapioca over strawberries. Chill until cold, about 15 minutes.