Strawberry Vanilla Valentine Pudding

Happy Valentines! Because it's my birthday on Valentine's day, I always get excited when I see the decorations start popping up in the store. It's such a lovely holiday, when we get to let those we love know of our affection. I'm okay with celebrating it for a month. Let the festivities begin!

My family had this pudding tonight and my boys all enjoyed it. It's an old-fashioned pudding with low sugar and a fresh strawberry syrup. It's an unusual combination that tasted fresh and creamy--a little bit of the coziness of winter with a hint of spring to come--just right for a night in February. I served it in some wine glasses for an elegant look.

Ingredients
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 C milk
2 egg yolks
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C frozen strawberries, thawed
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey

Directions
1. Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small saucepan. Gradually add milk. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until mixture thickens and becomes bubbly. Lower heat and cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

2. Beat egg yolks gently. Take a small amount of cooked mixture and stir it into egg yolks to temper egg. This will prevent eggs from becoming scrambled in your pudding. Return egg yolk to the mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to a slow boil. Cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.

3. Cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to dessert dishes.

4. Place strawberries, lemon juice, and honey in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour strawberry sauce over pudding in dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.           


Note: I've also tried this pudding as chocolate before. Instead of adding vanilla I stirred in about 1/3 C melted chocolate chips. Not as healthy, but it was delicious. I didn't think it would look as pretty as the white and red together, but if you're trying to please a chocolate lover, be sure to give it a try!

You might also be interested in our Valentine's Pancakes with Honey Buttermilk Syrup and Strawberry Sauce! They are so cute!