Posted on: Wednesday, August 25, 2004
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Pudding recipe from school days
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Arlene Santiago asked for a recipe that she remembered from Kalihi-Waena Elementary called Graham cracker pudding — kind of like a cheesecake but with Graham-cracker crumbs top and bottom. "Mrs. Hyde was the supervisor then, with helpers Mrs. Sato, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Santos and Mrs. Shishida," Santiago recalled.
In the files of the Hawaii School Food Service program, I found this lemon refrigerator dessert that resembles what Santiago remembers. It took a couple of passes to get this one right. My first effort was good, but the crust wasn't crispy, and the tart-sweet balance was off. My second effort, however, was delicious. Plan to make this at least 8 hours before serving, allowing time for it to set; serve within 24 hours.
This dish takes organization: Make the crust first to give it time to cool while you work. Measure out ingredients first. Then process cottage cheese in food processor or blender or push it through a sieve; add sweetened condensed milk and process briefly; pour into large bowl. Make custard. Then mix it all together and pour into crust.
Vanilla version: Omit lemon juice and rind. Use 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Cut fat and calories by using lower-fat cottage cheese and milk. Shortcut: Use a package of instant vanilla pudding instead of making custard.
Graham Cracker Pudding
Toss together crumbs, sugar and butter. Press 3/4 of the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish; bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes.
Whisk gelatin into water; set aside. Puree cottage cheese in food processor; add condensed milk; process briefly.
Beat eggs; add sugar and milk. Pour this custard mixture into top of double boiler over simmering water and stir constantly until thickened. Add gelatin to hot custard; remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.
In large bowl, stir custard/gelatin mixture into cottage cheese mixture. Add lemon juice, lemon rind, vanilla. Pour into cooled crust. Top with remaining Graham-cracker crumb mixture. Chill. Makes 12 servings.
• Per serving: 340 calories, 12 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 360 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 46 g sugar, 9 g protein.
