Catholic Recipe: Indian Pudding

The original American/Puritan Thanksgiving feast included Indian pudding, made of corn meal and molasses boiled in a bag. Here is a modern interpretation of that dish.

DIRECTIONS

Boil the milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir in the corn meal and cook for about twenty minutes over boiling water. Then add the molasses and cook for another five minutes. Remove from the fire and add the butter, salt, spices, the egg beaten, and the raisins if used. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake at 300° F. for two hours. If you would have a soft center, pour the milk over the top. Serve with Hard Sauce or cream, though it is a New England custom to serve the pudding with vanilla ice cream.

Hard Sauce: Cream butter. Add confectioner's sugar gradually, and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, liquor of your choice and egg yolk and process until smooth. Transfer to serving bowl. Can be served immediately warm, or can be refrigerate until firm. Bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 2 cups.

Sauce can be put into a pastry bag and used to decorate. Make rosettes, and decorate with green leaves and candied fruit.