Memories of Homemade Pudding and Pie

The warm summer months are here and it seems as if everyone is scattering across the country to take a vacation or visit relatives and friends. Many of my summers were filled with trips back to visit family in Iowa. My dad had two sisters (Aunt Wilma and Aunt Millie) and both of them loved to cook. One thing these two country cooks could do better than no other, was whip up some homemade pudding and even a pie or two. In fact, pudding or pie was served twice a day. Once at dinner (lunch) and the other at supper (dinner.)

Well, my kitchen skills aren't very great (something I inherited from my mom) and so I never really tried making homemade pudding, until the other day. I had some overripe bananas that I didn't want to go to waste, so I decided to make a banana cream pie. I quickly went online and looked up what would have to be (based on my skills) simple pie recipes. I soon realized that the filling for the pie was actually just a pudding (ok....yes I'm sure some of you are saying "duh"). This got me to thinking..."what is the science behind this delicious, creaming treat?"


OOBLEK....Again?!
For several years now, I've been teaching the science of Ooblek. A non-Newtonian fluid that at times seems like a solid, but can act like a liquid. Just by using some cornstarch and water you can have hours off fun scraping, molding and mixing this ooey, gooey mess. This fun experiment in messiness illustrates that cornstarch is a great "absorber." But how does it work in cooking and what's the science of pudding?


Well, all starches work by absorbing water (or other cooking liquid) into individual starch grains. The more concentrated the starch grains are the thicker the liquid becomes. However, just stirring starch and liquid together isn't enough to get the liquid to thicken and "gel. There needs to be a catalyst to make it happen...HEAT! Without heat, the starch grains sink to the bottom of the liquid and do not allow it to really thicken. 


When liquid molecules are heated, they become more active and begin to move around rapidly. The liquid molecules then collide with the starch grains and disrupt their structure causing the granules to absorb the liquid. There soon becomes a balance where the starch grains have taken in as much liquid as they can and your pudding ingredients have now thickened. 


So try making a deliciously, edible science experiment and let me know how it turns out.


The recipe for homemade vanilla pudding is below. 


XOXO,

 Miss Science

  Ingredients: 

• 2 cups of milk
• 2 TBS cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 whole large egg
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• dash of salt

Directions: 

1. In a medium saucepan mix together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk until you have removed the lumps from the starch.
2. In another bowl whisk the egg and add the milk. Continue to mix well.
3. Pour the milk mixture over the sugar mixture and turn the heat on medium.
4. Continue to whisk the milk often.
5. Once the milk mixture thickens and before it starts to boil, add the butter and vanilla. Continue to whisk.
6. After it comes to a boil, keep the pot on the heat while continuing to whisk for another 1-2 minutes. 
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool for one hour.