Healthy Lemon Cornstarch Pudding

Oh man, guys, it has been one heck of a week! Last Wednesday we closed on my first home, started painting our faces off, moved, and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. I haven’t had much time for cooking, but I am excited to get started again. I just might have to change my blog heading, because “adventures in a tiny kitchen” doesn’t really fit anymore—my kitchen is so much bigger and nicer! Can’t wait to put it through its paces.

I made this a few weeks ago, and absolutely loved it. As I mentioned a long time ago, chocolate cornstarch pudding is one of my family’s secret recipes, a summer go-to for me when I’m craving something cold and a little sweet.  I particularly love that recipe because it doesn’t require any kind of gelatin or anything like that, just simple cornstarch. But a while back I got to thinking about it and how, in theory, that recipe could be adapted a million different ways.

I’m sure it’s no surprise that lemon was the first flavor that came to mind. Adapting it was incredibly simple, just leaving out the cocoa powder and adding fresh lemon zest, juice, and a little lemon extract to make it extra…lemon-y.

The resulting flavor was so fresh and sweet and tart, I wanted to make gallons of it. As it was, I devoured it in a few sittings! Now I want to try orange, lime, all the flavors!

Pour 7 cups of the milk in a large saucepan and turn the heat on medium to medium-high (it was about 6 or 7 on my stove). You don’t want to heat it up too quickly. Let it heat slowly until the milk starts to steam a little, even a tiny simmer. This will probably take 10 minutes or so.

While the milk is heating, pour the remaining 1 cup of milk, the cornstarch, sugar, lemon zest, and squeeze the lemon juice (sans seeds!) into a blender and blend for a few seconds. Add a little lemon extract for a little something extra.

Once the milk is steaming, slowly pour the milk/cornstarch mixture in while stirring.

Turn down to more like medium-low or medium (about 4 or 5 on my stove) and continue to stir as the mixture thickens. This will take 10-15 minutes. The stirring is important because it’s going to try to stick to the bottom and you need to keep scraping that off.

Once it’s thickened, remove from the heat and add the vanilla, stir it in.

Let it sit and cool a little before serving. For me, I want it nice and cold, so I stick it in the fridge—and dip up a big bowl to eat as soon as possible that I stick in the freezer to cool off! It will keep for a few days in the fridge, but it will begin to separate after day three or so (particularly if you used skim milk). Doesn’t mean it’s bad, just that it’s less pudding-y.

It was so good! I can’t believe we haven’t thought about different variations before now, but now I’m brainstorming all the different types of pudding I can make!

Lemon Cornstarch Pudding

• 8 cups of milk (I use skim)
• 1 cup of sugar (I go scant on the sugar, more like 3/4 cup)
• 3/4 c. cornstarch
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• A little lemon extract (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

In a large saucepan on medium to medium-high (6 or 7 on my stove), pour 7 cups of the milk and slowly heat it up until it starts to steam a little (probably about 10 minutes). Err on the side of lower, because you don’t want to heat it up too quickly and scald the milk. While the milk is heating, pour the remaining 1 cup of milk, the cornstarch, sugar, lemon zest, and squeeze the lemon juice (sans seeds!) into a blender and blend for a few seconds. Add a little lemon extract for a little something extra.

Once the milk is steaming, slowly pour the milk/cornstarch mixture in while stirring. Turn the heat down to more like medium-low or medium (about 4 or 5 on my stove) and continue to stir as the mixture thickens. This will take 10-15 minutes. The stirring is super important because it’s going to try to stick to the bottom and you need to keep scraping that off.

Once it’s thickened, remove from the heat and add the vanilla, stir it in. Let it sit and cool a little before serving. My mom likes her pudding hot, but I think that’s weird, so I stick it in the fridge to get it nice and cold.