Sure to be a Hit at Your Thanksgiving Table: Indian Pudding!

This year, for our Thanksgiving gathering, I've been requested to make an old-timey dish: Indian Pudding. I first made this dessert two years ago at "A Revolutionary Thanksgiving," and it's one of my favorite 18th century recipes.

In 1796 the first American cookbook, American Cookery, was published. Up until that point, American housewives had been using British books that neglected American ingredients such as corn, squash, and maple syrup.

I feel this recipe is so representative of our country's early cuisine. A variation on English puddings, combined with Native American techniques of cooking corn, it's not unlikely it would have appeared at the first Thanksgiving table.

As usual with my recipes, this receipt is a combination from several sources, and adapted to modern cooking techniques.

1/4 cup corn meal
2 cups hot milk + 1 cup cold milk
1/4 cup sugar (brown or cane sugar will lend a more accurate flavor)
1/4 cup plus 1 tblsp molasses or maple syrup (each one will lend a very different flavoring, I use maple syrup)
2 eggs
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or you can use cinnamon, although it is not appropriate for 18th century America)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 275. Heat milk over a low heat. When hot, add cornmeal a little at a time, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes. You feel the mixture thicken--you are essentially making a polenta. Remove from heat and stir in the cup of cold milk, let cool. Mix together sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl. Crack eggs into a small bowl and beat gently to break up the yolks. Add eggs to cooled cornmeal mixture and combine. Stir in sugar mixture. Add maple syrup (or molasses) and mix well.

Pour into a one quart casserole and bake for 2-3 hours. This dish is best made the day before, refridgerated, and reheated before serving.

Serve with a hard sauce:

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla or 2 tsp brandy
Nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon to taste.

Cream butter with sugar. Add vanilla and spices, mix well.