Crockpot Indian Pudding
Made with apples and maple syrup, this is unusually good Indian pudding. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, and sharp cheddar cheese on the side for a real Yankee treat.
Indian pudding derives from an old English method of cooking it by boiling it in a bag in a large kettle on the hearth. It could then be left unattended, while the goodwife attended to other chores. In the Middle Ages, the puddings were cooked in the guts of an animal and primarily, were made from animal parts, with some grain added. During Lent, the meat was omitted.
The Indian part comes from Indian meal, or corn meal, which the early colonists adapted to their English cooking methods. Brown bread is basically a steamed pudding cooked in metal containers. Around here, (in New England), Grandma cooked her bread in used coffee cans, and steamed the brown bread in the oven.
We are blessed with modern gadgets to cook old favorites.
The recipe ingredients:
3 c. milk
½ c. cornmeal
½ tsp. salt
3
eggs
½ cup or a little more of maple syrup, to taste
2
tbsp. butter
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp.
nutmeg
½ tsp. ginger
2 apples, peeled and chopped, or one
apple, if very large.
Lightly grease crock pot. Pre-heat crock pot, on high.
Bring milk, cornmeal and salt to a boil, and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring all the while. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Gradually mix in the hot cornmeal mixture, and beat until smooth.
Pour into the crock pot, cover and cook on high for 2-3 hrs, or on low for 6-8 hrs. My crock pot cooks hot, so I watch the pot towards the low end of the cooking time for scalding, and sticking around the edges.
I found the following source for pudding bags, if you want to try an old fashioned method: http://www.tidespoint.com/food/pudding_bag.shtml
Susan Briscoe's book: 21 Sensational Patchwork Bags has a design for a pudding bag, not one you would cook with, but of interest to quilters.
Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. pat@quiltersmuse.com