In Greek: κρέμα βανίλια, say: KREH-mah vah-NEEL-yah
This vanilla pudding is a standard in Greek homes. Suitable for babies, corn starch puddings are also favorites with children of all ages and, with the addition of fruit, can be adapted to many uses from breakfast to snack to dessert.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup + 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons of corn starch
- 1 teaspoon of grated orange peel
Preparation:
Place 1 to 4 dessert bowls in the refrigerator to chill.
Warm one cup of milk (lukewarm), add sugar and corn starch and stir to dissolve.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining milk, vanilla extract, orange peel, and whisk to combine. As soon as steam begins to rise, add the milk/sugar/corn starch mixture, continuing to whisk continuously.
When it starts to thicken, remove from heat.
Spoon into chilled bowls, allow to cool, and serve, or place in refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.
Serving suggestions: This is a very versatile basic pudding. Add pureéed fruit immediately upon removing from heat to create a fruit pudding. It can be mixed with cereals, or topped with fruit and whipped cream for a fancier look, and your own creativity will result in even more variations.