The suggested dessert recipe was Muhallebi, or Turkish milk pudding... who doesn't love pudding? I'd never made pudding on my own, but it sounded easy enough. Melt butter in a pot, add flour, stir for a few minutes; add milk and sugar, stir until thick. Here is where I faltered a bit. Stir until thick? Thick as a fat girl's thigh? How would I know when to stop? The recipe didn't say. I ended up stirring for about 15 minutes, until it looked like it was about as thick as Jell-O instant pudding looks when you first mix the powder into the milk. (Yes, that is my ONLY experience with making pudding. What a sad reference point. I know. I KNOW.) I hoped it would firm up as it cooled.
desperately trying to figure out if it looks THICK yet.
Once it looked 'thick' enough to me, I lowered the heat and cooked for 4 more minutes, then added the vanilla and cooked for one more minute. I poured it all into one big glass bowl, rather than several small ones, because it was easier, and I'm all about easier. I let it cool on the counter for a little while, then put plastic wrap on the top and chilled it in the fridge for about four hours.
finished Muhallebi. I hoped, anyway.
It did thicken up a bit more, but it was still fairly watery. The flavor was good; light and sweet and creamy and definitely reminiscent of pudding (I consider that a success!). The cinnamon on top of each serving really complemented the dish; I highly recommend NOT skipping that step.
I will try cooking it a little longer next time, because I think it could use to thicken up a bit more. I was worried about overcooking the pudding, which is why I stopped, but it definitely could have used a little more time on the heat. Maybe five more minutes. So aim for 15-20 minutes as your thickening time, then lower the heat and cook for 4 more minutes before adding the vanilla. If anyone tries it, let me know how that turns out for you!
That's Mr. K-Pidge dishing up some pudding.
Muhallebi (Turkish Milk Pudding)
INGREDIENTS
5 cups milk
1½ cup sugar
5 tbsp flour
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
In a pot, sautee butter and flour over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Then stir in milk and sugar and stir continuously. Then stir till the pudding becomes thick (about 15 minutes), turn heat low and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla, stir for about 1 minute to incorporate, then turn the heat off.
Transfer the Milk Pudding into glass or porcelain cups and let it cool. Garnish with cinnamon.
ENJOY
(PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ORIGINAL RECIPE GIVES THIS WARNING: Do not sprinkle the cinnamon right after you pour the pudding into bowls. This would let the microorganisms grow fast contacting the cinnamon with the hot surface of the pudding and this may lead to food borne diseases. Make sure you sprinkle the cinnamon just before serving the cooled pudding.)
I am participating in the Global Cook Along project, where we try recipes from around the world. We focus on one region's cuisine each week. We try to do ours as one big potluck-style meal each week, but other people are doing one meal a night, a week, whatever works for them! To learn more, see additional recipes, or to participate yourself, check out our livejournal community and / or our facebook group!
with love from K-Pidge :)
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