Pudding

"'Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my uncle's house!' he [Harry] told Fudge, frowning" (Prisoner of Azkaban 45).

Yes, it's true that today's food item technically references a specific pudding we made earlier. But that specific pudding is not named here, and there are a couple times later when puddings are mentioned in a vague, non-specific sort of way, making this the first appearance of just "pudding." I think I've mentioned before that "pudding" in Great Britain simply means "dessert." But I have found a recipe to make today that, according to the website where I found it, is a staple in the refectories (cafeterias) of British boarding schools. So today we will make Semolina Pudding.

You Will Need:

1/4 cup butter

3 cups milk

1/2 cup semolina (yes, you really must use semolina flour, you cannot substitute another kind)

1/2 cup sugar

Cinnamon

2 medium egg yolks

Jam for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Smear the inside of a pudding dish (or casserole dish with tight-fitting lid) generously with butter and set aside.

2. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot but not bubbling.

3. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the semolina. Whisk continuously so lumps don't form! Return to the heat and continue whisking as you bring the mixture to a boil. It thickens quicker than you'd think, so don't stop whisking!

4. Remove from the heat again and whisk in the egg yolks, butter, and as much cinnamon as you'd like. Mix well.

5. Transfer to the pudding dish, sprinkle on some more cinnamon, cover, and bake for 35-40 minutes.

6. Serve on it's own or with a spoonful of your favorite jam.

If you eat this pudding warm (delicious!), it will have the consistency of cream of wheat or other hot cereals. If you let it cool (and presumably heat it up again to eat it), it will firm up and be more like traditional bread-y puddings. 

This pudding is quite tasty! I was very pleasantly surprised. It's a super easy recipe-- I definitely understand why it often accompanies lunch at boarding schools! Enjoy!