Last week I had two cups of milk, two eggs, and twenty minutes. I took to Twitter to ask you what kind of pudding I should make with my perishables and time. You answered: Chocolate. You answered: Butterscotch. One of you mentioned: Pistachio. Sold.
Pistachio pudding is so much more than the pale green, instant box, powdery stuff. Truly.
This pale green Pistachio Pudding is made from homemade pistachio paste. This is totally good news, right!? Pistachio, sugar, and just a touch of water. Stir this paste into warmed milk and eggs, and call it pudding. It’s just about that easy.
Spring pudding. I made it and I want you to also.
Oh wait! I didn’t tell you what this pudding tastes like. Pistachios. … and sugar. Go figure.
Homemade Pistachio Pudding
makes 6 small ramekins
adapted from cooks.com
Pistachio Paste:
1/2 cup salted pistachio nuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
Pudding:
2 cups whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
To make the Pistachio Paste: place pistachios in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are in small bits. Add the sugar and water, and blend until relatively smooth. Easy!
To make the Pudding: Spoon Pistachio Paste into a medium saucepan. Add the milk and whisk over medium heat. Heat milk and pistachio until steamy and hot.
While milk is heating, whisk together granulated sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and pinch of salt. Mixture will be thick. Keep whisking until it’s smooth. Pour about 1/2 cup of the steaming pistachio milk into the sugar and egg mixture. Whisk together. Add another half cup of hot milk and whisk to incorporate. Return the milky egg mixture into the saucepan over medium heat.
Heat pudding mixture over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Whisk almost constantly. You might also want to use a heat-proof spatula to stir the mixture, ensuring that the sides and corners of the pan aren’t burning. Boil for about 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract, until butter is melted. Pass cooked pudding through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. This will ensure that any cooked egg bits don’t make it into the finished pudding. Press the pudding through the strainer. Add a few of the pistachio nut bits that the strainer catches, back to the pudding if you’d like
Spoon into small ramekins, place plastic wrap over the individual puddings (so the plastic touches the top of the pudding), and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream and chipped pistachios.
Pudding will last, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
[…] something very distinct about boxed pistachio pudding and I LOVE IT but you’re welcome to make Homemade Pistachio Pudding if you’re […]