Oatmeal Pudding
Mary made Rice Pudding and bread pudding all the time. It was creamy and sweet and seemed to take forever to make. It probably didn't but something that good was hard to wait for. Sometimes she would serve it warm, but usually, it was cold and I liked it, either way I could get it.
When I was on my own I thought of her often while I began to really cook. Those days, if I didn't make it, I didn't eat. There was no money for eating out. Occasionally I would make something that I would serve over rice, like chicken, and I would end up with a little rice left over. One day I decided to toss in a little sugar, some milk, an egg, and cinnamon and cook it low and slow until it thickened. I may have burned a pan or two, but I would just be careful to not scrape the bottom and dig up that burnt taste. Yes, the rest of it tasted a bit charred too, but I was not too picky. I would eventually start to plan ahead and intentionally made extra rice just so I could make my quick stovetop version. I never did make it in the oven like Mary did. I was still too impatient to wait that long.
This morning I made us some oatmeal for breakfast. Mick likes it with a little butter and sugar and a side of toast. I wasn't paying much attention when I measured out the oats and I ended up doubling the amount of oats I needed. I could have easily put some back, but I had already tossed in the salt, so I just rolled with it.
I served up a bowl for each of us and had quite a bit left in the pot. I just put the lid on it and sat down for breakfast. I was thinking as I ate about what I could do with the cooked oatmeal. I could just put it in the fridge and reheat some for breakfast the next couple of mornings. But, Mary was on my mind and her rice pudding and the pudding I used to make with the leftover rice.
After cleaning up I went back to the kitchen. I measured out how much I had left and it came to exactly 1 1/2 cups. So I started pulling out the sugar, an egg, the cinnamon, and cardamom. I went to grab the milk and thought about the buttermilk I had to use up, so I went for that instead.
I mixed it all up, prepared an 8x8 baking dish and preheated the oven. I poured it into the dish, popped it in the oven, and kept an eye on it. After about 45 minutes it had browned on top and the edges looked a bit crunchy. I took it out and let it cool, grabbed a spoon and took a taste. I swear, if I were blindfolded, I would not have known it was not Mary's rice pudding!
It took me right back to her kitchen. There I was, sitting at her table, next to the window with some pretty white or bright colored set of curtains that she would change out for the seasons. She kept a table cloth on the table at all times too, which was something that we considered fancy at our house. A little dish of her rice pudding and a cup of hot tea with lots of sugar and a little canned milk and I was the happiest kid there ever was.
I dished up a little cup of my Oatmeal Pudding after it chilled and fixed me a cup of hot coffee. I've been thinking about it all day since. I could save some for breakfast for the next couple of mornings, but we all know I will get me some tonight for dessert. I can't wait.
Oatmeal Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked oats
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray an 8x8 baking dish or pan with cooking spray.
- Combine all ingredients together and pour into pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top has browned and edges begin to crisp. Serve warm or chilled, plain or with whipped cream.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
281.14Fat (grams)
1.69Sat. Fat (grams)
0.45Carbs (grams)
64.30Fiber (grams)
2.28Net carbs
62.02Sugar (grams)
50.19Protein (grams)
4.06Sodium (milligrams)
83.44Cholesterol (grams)
1.63
