The first time I ever tasted Indian pudding was in Maine at the Maine Diner in Wells, Maine. I had already consumed one of their top lobster rolls and was very full, so my sister and I split a dish of warm Indian pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side. We agreed. Delicious. Our travels took us north and we had to sample this treat one more time. There’s another place along Route 1 in Woolwich called the Taste of Maine. There’s a huge lobster hugging most of the roof that catches your attention but good. I can’t say I am a fane of their food, I once ordered fettuccini and I swear the dish was covered in 25 minced garlic bulbs. I should have stuck with another lobster roll. So, we tried their Indian pudding and it was definitely different than the Maine Diner. The last place I tried the pudding was in Bennington, Vermont just 50 minutes away. Again, it was just okay.
I searched the internet for the original recipe from Wells, Maine and found it. I loved the simplicity of it and the rich smooth molasses flavor on a cool autumn day is perfect. It wasn’t easy to find because it was listed in a thread of conversations about the diner’s dessert. I cut the recipe in half and it came out very well. So here it is and I hope you try this dessert for yourself. Let me know what you liked about it and share it with a friend.
Maine Diner Indian Pudding
½ cup of molasses
½ pound of brown sugar
¼ lb. of butter
1 quart of half and half
2 cups of milk
½ T. ground ginger
1 T. cinnamon
1 ¼ cups of cornmeal
Put the molasses, sugar, dairy products, and spices into the top of a double boiler. Over medium heat, stir occasionally until the butter has melted then add in the cornmeal. Cook, stirring occasionally for 30 min. The pudding should be thick and smooth. Serve the pudding hot into small bowls and top with whipped cream or ice=-cream and fresh fruits such as blueberries. Enjoy!
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