Vanilla/Chocolate/Coconut scratch pudding.

[Amgine]

Served warm or chilled, pudding is a comfort food for my upper-midwest family. The instant puddings are really simple and easy, but sometimes you've been away from the supermarkets long enough, or you forgot 'em, but you have fresh milk and eggs....

Base Vanilla recipe:

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbls cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tbls butter
2 tsp vanilla

Sauce pan
mixing bowl

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute, remove from heat temporarily.

Stir at least half of hot mixture slowly into beaten egg yolks in mixing bowl, then stir back into pot, scraping well. Return pot to heat and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 1 minutes, still stirring, then remove from heat.

Stir in butter and vanilla, and pour into dessert dishes. Serve warm or chilled.

Chocolate variation:

Stir 1/3 cup cocoa into sugar mixture, skip the butter in the final step.

Coconut variation:

Stir 3/4 cup flaked coconut in with butter and vanilla. You can toast some for a garnish.