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Pudding choices: I’ll take mine sweet – Vanilla Pudding

Ann Marie Bezayiff

Virginia, owner of Timeless Trends Boutique in Thurmont, told me to try Trout’s Town Restaurant in Woodsboro for a great breakfast.  

I drove there with a few friends, managed to get lost, but was rescued by a helpful group of people in the super market also named Trout’s. The parking lot was full of cars even though it was past mid-morning.

We found a table and surveyed the menu. I went for the pancakes with fresh blueberries but was sidetracked with the egg and accompanying meat choices. They included bacon, ham, sausage, scrapple and pudding. Pudding with eggs? I’ve lived here long enough to know that this probably wasn’t dessert pudding. I became suspicious when I saw scrapple as a choice. The waitress was most helpful even offering us a sample of the pudding.

We all passed. Maybe another time.

If you prefer your pudding as a sweet dessert, you’ll really enjoy this version. Add fresh fruits and coconut in layers for a 4th of July look. Sliced bananas are good too.

Pudding in Aunt Shirley's glasses. (All photos by David Bezayiff)
Pudding in Aunt Shirley’s glasses. (All photos by David Bezayiff)

Vanilla Pudding (or coconut):  Jean’s recipe, 1975

  • 6 Tablespoons sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 eggs, well beaten (*divided for ma)
  • 3 cups milk
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup flaked coconut

In a saucepan mix sugar & cornstarch. Sir in eggs & milk. Sir constantly over low heat until the mixture bubbles & thickens. Cool and then stir in vanilla & coconut. Note: To prevent lumping, always stir the wet ingredients into the dry.

If, like Ma, you prefer meringue topping, separate eggs and use whites to make meringue; toast in oven.

For High livers: Beef liver will be especially tender if soaked in milk. Refrigerate about two hours, remove, dry thoroughly, bread and sauté. Kitchen Hints, 1980

What is Puddin?  After a pig was butchered, dressed and boned, the bones, organs and head were put into a cast-iron kettle over an open fire. After everything was cooked tender, the bones were removed, the broth strained, and any meat and organs were ground up. The broth would be reduced, some of the ground meat added, and thickened with corn meal and buckwheat flour to make “scrapple.” The remainder of the ground meat would be returned to the kettle with some freshly processed lard and cooked until all the moisture was removed — that is pudding.

We’d put it into crocks, put an inch of lard over the top and put the crocks into the cold cellar until we wanted to use it. Scrape off the lard and dig out a chunk and heat it until the meat mixture melted and was hot. With the seasoned lard, you didn’t need to butter your pancakes. The onions or horseradish cut the richness/fat of the pudding meat. You can still buy pudding at butcher shops in Central Pennsylvania. Homesteading Today