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Vanilla Date Pudding

PREP: 30 minutes
COOK: 20 minutes
YIELD: 6-8 servings

Swap the packaged stuff for this homemade, whole-ingredient vanilla pudding that's better than your childhood self remembers. 

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 Vanilla Bean or 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 4 Egg Yolks
  • 1/4 cup Natural Delights® pitted dates, (soaked in 1/4 cup hot water for 30 minutes, drained then blended until a paste forms)
  • 1/4 Cup Corn Starch
  • 1/4 Cup Salted Butter

Preparation

  1. Scrape the vanilla bean and transfer the pod and seeds into a medium saucepan with the heavy cream and sea salt. Bring to medium heat and allow to warm until just beginning to steam. (Stir occasionally.)
  2. In the meantime, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, date mixture and corn starch until light and pale in color.
  3. When the cream is ready, stream in 1/4 into the egg mixture and whisk. When incorporated, repeat the process until all is incorporated. (This helps to temper the eggs to prevent scrambling them from the heat.)
  4. When ready, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Constantly whisk for about 5-8 minutes or until thickened. (This prevents the custard from burning onto the pan and also cooks out the corn starch taste.)
  5. When ready, stir in the butter, then strain the custard into a mixing bowl or container. Use plastic wrap to place on the surface of the custard. (This is to prevent the custard from forming a skin.)
  6. Allow the custard to cool to room temperature then place into the fridge overnight.

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.