Lavender and Vanilla Bean Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 lavender buds, crushed
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2-3 tbsp. powdered sugar
- Fresh whole lavender buds, for garnish
Directions
Begin by splitting the vanilla bean lengthwise and using the back of your knife, scrape out the beans.
In a medium sized saucepot, combine the 4 cups of milk with the crushed lavender buds, the scraped vanilla bean seeds and the bean itself. Whisk to combine. Bring up to a simmer, on low heat. Once it reaches a simmer remove from heat and let sit for 30-40 minutes to infuse.
In a medium sized bowl whisk the yolks with the sugar. It will clump up and get very thick but keep whisking it all together. Next add in the cornstarch and salt. It will form a paste, just make sure it’s evenly combined.
Once the milk has infused and cooled, stain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl with a pour spout.Slowly whisk the infused milk into the yolk and sugar mixture until smooth adding a little at a time.
Pour this mixture back into the pot and slowly bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Once it thickens, enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, remove from heat. Add in vanilla extract.
Pour the mixture back through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. It will thicken more once it cools.
When ready to serve make the whipped cream. In A stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or with a hand mixer whip the cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
Whisk the pudding so it’s nice and smooth. Pour into 3-ounce small bowls or jars and top with the whipped cream and a fresh whole lavender bud.
Recipe Courtesy of Megan Mitchell