Desserts
Cornstarch and caramel pudding
March 25th already and heading to the end of this month ... time flies.
The calendar says that we are in spring season but cannot be seen all over yet.... so unstable weather till now. There are days that the sun makes you want to go for a swim and the next day you're looking for the jacket and gloves! Lol.. yes .. today I'm pissed off with the weather. How to shoot with these conditions ? Now you know why murmuring .. lol I don't have (yet) a studio photography at home, so I do my shoots in the porch of my kitchen with natural light.
As you can understand the weather affects my shooting greatly. I do not want the air, because moves my papers and the items I use in my photography. I do not want rain because I have to lower the tent to protect the set up and that disappears the light (whatever light I may have), let alone the raindrops that ruin my decor and my food. Cold is ok for me ... I put on my heavy jacket and I'm ok ... shooting quickly because in winter I'm loosing the light at no time.
So now that the days are bigger it's the best. Longer light is what I need. Except that, at this season the lighting conditions are variable. I see the glorious sunshine and I prepare my shooting. I place the necessary papers, I get the props, I set my my camera, I bring the food and I'm ready.
And .. the clouds do their tricks, they hide the sun and the set up is darker and I have to readjust the camera and take the shot .. but there is the sun again ... and again setting adjustment ... grrrrrrrr !! That was the deal with the shooting of today's recipe. I played hide and seek with the sun trying to imprint the wonderful color of my pudding. Certainly after the intensity of shooting .. I rewarded myself with a piece or two of pudding.
However, you do not need to take a shot ... make this delicious dish and just enjoy it. It's an easy dessert to make, just pay some attention with the caramel so that it doesn't become bitter. Definitely it worths trying it !
Enjoy
Ingredients :
- 1 cup corn oil (150-160gr)
- 2 cups cornstarch
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar (for the caramel)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- almond flakes for the decoration
Preparation :
- Heat your oven's grill.
- In a big bowl combine corn oil, cornstarch, sugar and water.
- Prepare the caramel with the 1 cup sugar.
- In a big saucepan over medium heat, pour 1 tbsp sugar and stir with a wooden spoon till melts.
- Once melted add one more tbsp and stir again till this spoonful melts too.
- Repeat process till you use the whole cup of sugar and you have a light brown caramel.
- When caramel is ready, add the rest ingredients from the bowl with extra care so that you are not burned from the caramel.
- When all ingredients are in the saucepan, the caramel will become solid but don't worry.
- Start stirring and eventually the caramel will melt again and gradually the whole mixture will start thicken.
- When thickens, stop stirring and transfer curd in a baking pan.
- Sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar and bake under grill for about 8 minutes until a crust forms on the surface.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with the almond flakes and let aside to cool down.
- Cut in square pieces and serve.