Indian Pudding

The first year the Pilgrims spent in America was difficult and harsh. They quickly learned to depend on the foods available in the land, which included corn, beans, and squash. When times were hard, it was quite common for them to eat corn in some manner three times a day. The resourceful colonial women learned to make a wide variety of breads, puddings, and pies from cornmeal. The Indians taught them how to create a pudding that featured cornmeal with molasses as a sweetener. It became known as Indian Pudding. This version includes two colonial luxuries – eggs and sugar. Today the pudding is still served, but modern versions often top it with vanilla ice cream. This recipe serves six.

You need:

• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 3 cups milk
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (optional) vanilla ice cream

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish with 1 tablespoon margarine or butter.
3. In a saucepan, combine milk and molasses. Then gradually stir in cornmeal.
4. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens. This will take about 10 minutes.
5. Remove pudding from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon margarine or butter.
6. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg. Then add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
7. Gradually add egg mixture to hot cornmeal pudding.
8. Pour in greased baking dish and bake, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until pudding has thickened.
9. (Optional) Serve topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Note: The pudding is especially tasty when served warm. The following is an excerpt from America: Ready-to-Use Interdisciplinary Lessons & Activities for Grades 5-12.