Indian Pudding

This thick and rich pudding is a wonderful fall or winter dessert, rich with maple syrup and brown sugar.

Makes 4 servings.

5 cups low-fat milk

¹/₄ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¹/₂ cup maple syrup

³/₄ cup yellow cornmeal (organic is best)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

¹/₄ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fresh ginger root

Pinch of salt

Non-stick cooking spray

1. Combine milk, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a 2-quart saucepan, and stir well. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Whisk in cornmeal and simmer mixture, whisking frequently, for about 10 minutes or until thick.

2. Stir butter and vanilla into the mix, and whisk until butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the ginger and pinch of salt.

3. Spray the inside of the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Using a spatula, transfer all of the pudding mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 5 hours. (Do not cook on High.)

4. When the edges have darkened slightly and the center is set, the pudding is done. Turn off the cooker, uncover, and let cool until warm. Serve.

Because Native Americans introduced corn to the Pilgrims, anything made with corn had “Indian” as a prefix at one time or another. The other term for Indian Pudding is Hasty Pudding, and the Hasty Puddng Club at Harvard University, founded in 1770, was named for the dessert because it was eaten at the first meeting. Recipes for Indian or Hasty pudding go back to the early eighteenth century.