(Norwegian Jul Pudding )

2 pints sour cream,
11-12 Tbsp. all-purpose flour to thicken
2-3 cups hot milk
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tsp. sugar or to taste

melted butter
sugar
ground cinnamon

Place the sour cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Turn down heat and allow to barely simmer for 1 hour, uncovered, to reduce slightly. It must not boil. Use a heat diffuser for this process.

Using a flour sifter or strainer, slowly add enough flour to thicken the cream. I use about 11-12 Tbsp. for a very thick pudding. Using a wire whisk, whip in the flour 1 Tbsp. at a time. The cream will thicken and start to pull away from the sides of the pan. If the sour cream is very rich, the butter will now begin to form and rise to the top. Remove this with a spoon and set it aside. Stir in enough hot milk to obtain a porridge-like consistency. Add sugar and salt to taste. Serve in bowls with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon on top.

Serves 8-10

For our Solstice supper tomorrow night I am planning something fairly light as we usually have feasts on this night. For dessert I have selected the following, it will undergo some alterations, subbing brown rice syrup or barley malt syrup for the sugar. I’ll have to adjust the water. Here’s hoping it comes out!

Cranberry Tapioca Pudding

2 tbl quick-cooking tapioca
1 1/2 cup water
2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 tsp pure orange extract
1/2 cup sugar

Combine tapioca and water in a saucepan; let stand 5 minutes.
Bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add cranberries and cook until all berries have popped, then remove from heat.
Add orange extract and sugar and mix well.
Allow to cool before putting in refrigerator. Chill thoroughly.

This recipe yields 4 (1/2 cup) servings.

3 cups milk
1 cup instant rice, uncooked
1 red or green apple, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package vanilla instant pudding
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Bring the 1 cup of the milk to boil. Next,stir in the rice,chopped apple,raisins,cinnamon& nutmeg;cover.
Remove from heat an let stand for 5 minutes. While letting it stand,prepare the pudding as directed with the remaining 2 cups milk.
Stir the rice mixture into prepared pudding. If using the nuts,stir in next.
Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap;& cool for 5 minutes.

6 servings

2-1/2 cups graham crackers(about 40 squares)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter,melted

Cream Cheese Layer:
1 package(8 ounces)cream cheese,softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs

Pumpkin Filling:
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
6 eggs
3 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1-1/4 cups sugar,divided
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the first 3 ingredients;press into a 13x9x2 in pan; set aside.In a mixing bowl,beat the cream cheese,sugar and eggs until blended; our over crust.Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until set.Cool for 1 hour.Soften gelatin in cold water;set aside.In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs until thick and lemon colored;set aside.In a saucepan,combine pumpkin,1 cup sugar,milk,cinnamon and salt; bring to a boil.Boil for 2 mins. Stir 1 cup hot pumpkin mixture into yolks;return all to pan.Bring to gental boil;cook and stir for 2 minutes.Remove from heat;stir in softened gelatin.Set in pan of ice waterand stir until mixture reaches room temperature,about 5 mins.In another bowl,beat cream until soft peaks form; gradually add vanilla and remaining sugar.Beat until stiff peaks form.Fold into oumpkin mixture.Pour over cream cheese layer.Refrigerate for 2 hours.Searved with whipped cream if desired.

Looks more difficult than it is and its GREAT!!!Makes 12-15 servings

6 strips (3″ by 1″ each) orange peel
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 cup solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie mix)
6 large eggs
1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch salt

In 1-quart saucepan, heat orange peel, 3/4 cup sugar, and water to boiling over high heat; cover and cook 10 minutes. With fork, remove orange peel and discard. Continue cooking sugar mixture about 3 minutes longer, until amber in color. Pour caramel into 9″ by 5″ loaf pan, swirling to coat bottom. (Hold pan with pot holders to protect hands from heat of caramel.) Set pan aside.
In heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat evaporated milk, cream, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar just to boiling over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350º F. In large bowl with wire whisk, mix pumpkin eggs, liqueur, vanilla, cinnamon nutmeg, and salt until combined.
Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined. Pour pumpkin mixture through medium-mesh sieve into prepared loaf pan. Place loaf pan in 13″ by 9″ roasting pan; place in oven. Carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan to come three-quarters up side of loaf pan. Bake 55 minutes, or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge of custard comes out clean (center will jiggle slightly). Remove loaf pan from roasting pan to cool on wire rack 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate crème caramel overnight.
To unmold, run small metal spatula around sides of loaf pan; invert crème caramel onto serving plate, allowing caramel syrup to drip from pan onto loaf (some caramel may remain in loaf pan). Makes 12 servings.

Each serving: about 245 calories, 6 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 12 g total fat (7 g saturated), 0.5 g fiber, 143 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium.

This hearty dessert is especially good topped with whipped cream or maple syrup. If you dislike a heavy texture, use 1/2 cup flour instead of the 1/2c. cornmeal

Blueberry Indian Pudding

2 cups blueberries
4 cups water
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup honey
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white flour

Boil the berries in the water for 5 minutes.
Mash berries then add the cornmeal, honey, eggs, cinnamon and flour. Mix thoroughly.
Refrigerate for two hours. Then pour into a greased 9x11 in pan and bake at 350* for one hour.

Serves 8-10

SOURCE: Country Wisdom & Know-How