Honey Pudding

I've mentioned before that the British use of the word "pudding" is a bit ambiguous. When I read about honey pudding in The Bellmaker, I imagined something along the lines of a French dessert known as blancmange. It's a creamy, jiggly dessert halfway between a custard and gelatin. This version is very simple and tastes like honey and vanilla. You'll need to work quickly once it starts to thicken, though, so I recommend having all the ingredients and utensils ready before you begin cooking.

Honey Pudding

Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 90 minutes if you use four small ramekins like I did. It will take longer if you use a single large mold.
Total time: 105 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Whisk together the cornstarch and milk. The easiest way of doing this is to pour a small amount of milk into the cornstarch and whisk smooth, then pour than back into the remaining milk.
   
2. Pour the milk mixture into a small saucepan and heat over high heat, whisking constantly, until the milk begins to boil.
   
3. Boil for about three minutes, or until the milk begins to thicken. I don't have pictures for this step or the next because you really need to work fast.
4. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the honey and vanilla.
5. Quickly pour the mixture into ramekins and tap them gently to level the tops as much as possible.
   
6. Let the mixture cool on the counter for a few minutes, then put them in the fridge and chill completely.
7. When they're ready, flip the ramekins upside down over a plate to release the puddings for serving.