April 18, 2007

SAFFRON-VANILLA PUDDING

Saffron-Vanilla Pudding is my contribution for Barbara from "winos and foodies" blog's event "A taste of yellow" to participate in LIVESTRONG Day to support cancer survivors and raise awareness about cancer.LIVESTRONG Day 2007 will occur on Wednesday, May 16, if you would like to participate in your city.Thank you for letting us know about this event Barbara:)




Saffron-Vanilla pudding is also my entry for Monisha from Coconut Chutney blog's "Sugar High Friday #30-Flower Power" event.I am using Saffron as my flower for this dessert inspired by the beautiful colors and flowers of the Spring.Thanks for hosting Monisha:))



Saffron:



Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of saffron crocus (Crocus sativus).Saffron, has been always the world's most expensive spice by weight,is native to Southwest Asia.It was first cultivated in the vicinity of Greece. For more info and to look at the beautiful pictures of Saffron flower, click here.


I was more than happy to make this delicious dessert which is not only easy and beautiful to look at,you can serve in many ways as well.I chose to serve them in golden baked ready made Puff pastry shells which makes a wonderful blend of crunchy pastry with a velvety and fragrant Saffron Vanilla pudding and also as it is in a bowl for a light dessert.Hope you try!:))


Saffron-Vanilla Pudding:




Saffron-Vanilla pudding in Puff pastry shells:





You need:

A pack of 6 Puff pastry shells if you are using them to serve.For pudding: 1/4 cup sugar,2 tbsp Cornstarch,2 cups 2% or fat-free milk,1 Egg(optional),2 tsp vanilla extract,10-12 strands of Saffron and 1 tsp butter.


To make pudding:


Bake shells according to the instruction on the back of the pack and cool them on the rack.With a knife,gently remove the middle of the pastry.
To make the sauce: In a non-stick pan,mix the sugar,cornstarch and whisk the milk in.Add saffron and heat the milk.Keep stirring until thickens.Beat the egg and add a tbsp of hot milk and beat and add the egg mixture to the sauce,mix well.



Simmer until it thickens,take off the heat,add vanilla essence and butter, mix well and cool.Pour it in a bowl,cover and chill to serve as it is or if you are using the puff pastry,fill the pudding in to the middle of the shells and chill.
Note: Instead of Vanilla essence , you could add Maple syrup or essence to make Maple flavored pudding.




If you don't have the Puff pastry shells,you can cut the regular puff pastry sheet in to a 4-6" circles,bake and carefully cut a circle in the middle to make it hollow to fill the pudding.

Enjoy the delicious Saffron-Vanilla pudding!:))

65 comments:

Coffee said...

SIGH!!!!!! Will you ever fail to surprize me???? Looking at the rate at which you guys are coming out wih such delicious stuff....... I feel like leaving my job and start cooking everyday at home :)

The puff pastries idea is simply great!!!! We get a kind of frozen dessert over here called as profiterol..... very similar to this one :) Now I know how to make them as well . :)

Pinki said...

WOw !! wonderful idea of using puff pastry shell.The final product looks very similar to Eclairs!! the other day I tried making Cream puffs from scratch ,didn't turn out that good..will try again soon!! and guess what the filling in gonna be...Yep!!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

What a lovely idea! I've recently begun cooking with saffron (to my delight) and can't wait to try this pudding recipe!

FH said...

Coffee,one day I will just post a bowl of cooked rice and surprise the heck of ya!;D Enjoy the pudding.

Hi Pinki,I did think of making Cream puffs for this and then I found the Puff shells in the freezer!:))
Hope you make it,it's easy and delicious even without the pastry.

Susan,I am so glad to hear that! Saffron gives it a beautiful color and very subtle flavor to any dish.
We make Saffron Chicken or veg dish as well,recipe is in my other blog.Enjoy the pudding,thanks:)

Mishmash ! said...

hehhehe...i will try this recipe too for using my leftover puff shells :) remember i had bought it by mistake and used the shells while trying out ur diving umm ali :) Thanks :)

Shn

Anonymous said...

Thanks for participating Asha! The color looks perfect for Spring and I just love the idea of serving it in mini puff pastry shells, one more idea to bookmark from you :)!

Kribha said...

Asha,
What can I say....Awesome as ever. You are like the Energiser bunny. Nothing can stop you. Using puff pastries with the pudding is a wonderful idea. How do you come up with such ideas?Really Yaar. My son loves pudding . Will try this for him. Lot of hugs for posting this.

Richa said...

loved the presentation.
looks like candles on a tray, cute.
thanks

Richa said...

vanilla scented candles, might i add ;-)

FH said...

shn,I do!! Perfect for these as well.Try it and enjoy.You can cut the pudding recipe into half if it's just 2-4 shells:)

Thank you Monisha for making me bake these.I had these puff shells in the freezer for a while,didn't know what to do with them!:D
Glad you liked them, enjoy.

Li'l Lite said...

wow amazing asha didi!!i love vanilla and this one is a must try :))

FH said...

HeHe!! Thank you Kribha for the compliment,I will take it gladly!:))
It's wonderful dessert for kids,I bet your son will enjoy this pudding.Add some melted chocolate,you have Chocolate pudding!!

Richa,when I looked at the picture I thought they look like candles too!;D
Saffron strands look like wicks there,eatable yummy candles I might add!:)) Thanks girl.

USHA said...

Hi Ashaji,

Wow!lovely presentation with cute shells.Pudding looks delicious.Especially the presentation with filled in shells really tempts alot...

FH said...

Hi dr,thanks sweetie:)) Give it try and I am sure you will love it.

Hi Usha,it's easy to make it at home instead of buying from outside with lots of preservatives in them!Great for kids too!:))

Sharmi said...

OMG!! I dont know how you come up with such lovely ideas!! the shells look so pretty. do we get them in stores just the way it is? I know we have to bake them but I wanted to know about the shape of the shells.

Anonymous said...

asha, i always visited your other website which i think you update only once a week. this one i came across few days back and i love all the wonderful recipes here. you amaze me with your variety. everything in here looks delicious. those little puff pastry cups and pudding in it. wow!!

Unknown said...

lady u make me hungry ur blog is boon to all us bachelors who don know cookin for partys keep goin

DEEPA said...

Simple Super...Enna style ..Great man .You r so creative and doing recipes .I surely going to try this one.

FH said...

Hi Sharmi,yes you get the shells already cut and shaped with a little lid on top.It says Puff pastry shells on top of the box.Try ti:)

I know Reena,most don't know about Aroma:)) Glad you liked them,this Aroma is only for event,so it will be more frequent too than at FH:)

FH said...

Hi P!! Glad I am giving you some party ideas!:))
If you make bite sized puff cups and fill it with 2 tbsp or so of pudding,they will fly like hot potatoes at the parties!!Enjoy.
There are more party finger foods at FH too.Check my recipe Index or Dec. Xmas posts.

Rumbha nandri Deepa!:D
I am learning Tamil now and next month Telugu!!
Hope you try this,great for kids too even without the puff shells.

Suganya said...

Ur saffon vanilla pudding is a differnet try.....
They look realy great....... Very nice recipe

Seema Bhat said...

How CUUUUUUUUUUUUTe. Loved your idea of using puff pastry Asha. They look so adorable. I wouldn't even feel like gulping them as they look so beautiful. Saffron with vanilla sure must taste good alwa. Thanx for such a wonderful recipe.

FH said...

Hi Sukanaya,it's really different dessert, a mix of east and west!:))
Hope you try.

Hi Seema,usually I just make pudding and serve as it is.But I had some puff shells,thought why not use it:))
It came out really well,crunchy outside and soft and creamy inside.Try it without egg too,tastes great.Ninna husband ge torisidare,namma manege bandu iddu biduttareno!!:D

Anh said...

Asha, I intended to use saffron for SHF, too. :D Your pudding looks sensational! Well-done.

Anonymous said...

You know everthing, don't ya!
PM

sunita said...

Asha, I can't stop drooling...omg, they look too pretty...you really don't suppose you could send some over...aren't you so very clever...btw I love to use saffron...isn't the colour amazing...

Anonymous said...

Asha, You bowl me out completely everytime u post new entries. Excellent pictures, must surely have tasted awesome.

I have been cooking & eating soo much since viewing all the cooking blogs, its like a additiction. Cant stop :-)

I have prepared ur Khandvi, Umm ali, kodubale, rava laddus recently. Seems like I cant miss out on this delicacy now :-)
Asha u might also have to start a weight loss clinic for ppl like me who try ur recipes, if u keep up this pace :-)

Have a Q, I have always seem Puff pastry sheets but never the shells, is this from any speciality stores ?? Let me know.

Thanks & Hugs.

FH said...

Thank you Anh:) I couldn't think of anything else other than Saffron!;D

Hi PM, I know some of them definitely,don't know about everything!!;D Thanks.

FH said...

I suppose not Sunita but I suppose you could make it at home!HAHA!!Thanks girl.I appreciate it:)

Hi Aruna,thank you:))
Best tip I can give you is make half the amount of recipe I give and eat only a few at time to keep yourself trim.I blog so much that I forget to eat and have lost some weight!!;D

Puff pastry shells are available right next where you get the puff sheets in the regular grocery stores.If you don't find it,ask the helpers in there,they will show you.Enjoy:))

Suma Gandlur said...

Wow!! Asha. Nanage nijavagalu nimma blog nodidagalella en helbeku, en comment madbeku anthane tiliyalla. My comments have started looking cliched.
BTW, I forgot to tell, your Tamil dishes are mouthwatering. Please pass on those chaklis.

Pravs said...

Yum, yum Yum ! Looks delish...

krystyna said...

Hi Asha!
I really need this information. I like Saffron and I often use it. I like this color. Thanks for this great link too.
Your today's recipie is for me. I like pudding and you submit great example.
THANKS!

Mona said...

Safron or kesar adds a great flavour.
Those puff pastries look so yum!
& today I felt like having something sweet & cant seem to find any at home :(

FH said...

Suma,as long as try and enjoy the recipes and just say 'Thanks',I will be happy!:))
Chaklis are all gone already!!;p

Thanks Pravs,hope you do try.It's easy:))

FH said...

You are very welcome K!:))
Monisha's blog rocks too,she has many gorgeous looking dishes as well.Hope you try the pudding.Enjoy.

Mona,the Saffron we mostly get here is from Spain which has lot less color and flavor unlike Kashmiri kesar.Real good Kesar VERY expensive.
Make some Besan or Rava laddus Mona,they are easy and yummy too!:))

david santos said...

Very good, thank you.

Asha, that this week is the best one that you had in all your life, congratulations.

FH said...

Thank you David! That was a nice thing to say,I appreciate it!:))

Kajal said...

Hi Asha,
As for ever you have always great idea with nice recipe.
Saffron-Vanilla pudding is really great.
You have best blog of this year.
I definitely say after notice your achievement.
You are such a nice presentation of each and every post.
Take Care.
Kajal

Deepak Gopi said...

Saffron is very costly here.people buy it and drink it with milk to become more fairer.
Happy akshaya thritiya

sallywrites said...

Yumm!!!

FH said...

Kajal,thank you for your award.I will accept and give you a big hug!:))

Deepak,you didn't drink Kesari milk to become fair,did you man?!;D
Don't believe all that,it's just grandma's story!!
Another festival?!Enjoy:))

Thanks Sally.Have a great weekend.Pudding and Pizza for the weekend menu!:))

Anonymous said...

WOW !! The Saffron pudding looks just Yummy !!! wonderful recipe ASha

FH said...

Thank you Sushma,hope you try!:))

Gattina Cheung said...

I love the varitey of maple syrup you recommended too. And this pudding added with saffron is totally divine!

FH said...

Thank you Gattina.You are way better than me when it comes to cooking desserts!:))

Deepa Hari said...

Hi Asha,
mmm...yummy pudding....nice presentation...you always come up with something different...Great job.

Cheers,
Deepa.

Unknown said...

Hi Asha - thankyou for joining A Taste of Yellow. I love your entry and such beautiful photos.

Unknown said...

PS - I've just realised you are Asha who comments on Chris' blog and also So So Simple. I'm having lunch with Gilli today. We are being introduced by a mutual friend.

Prema Sundar said...

I have this puff pastry shell for a long time in my freezer.Actually Sundar bought it instead of puff sheets. I didn't know what to do with that ans so its lying in the freezer. Now I know what to do... thanks Asha they look delicious..

FH said...

Hi Deepa,thank you.It's easy to make,hope you try:))

Thank you Barbara.It's a great cause to contribute:))
YUP!! I am her!:D
So Gilli was cooking Lentil soup for you then!!Enjoy:))

Prema,time to use all those shells!!You can also make savory filling for the shells too,tastes great.Hope you try:)

Unknown said...

good one:)

FH said...

Thank you rv:)

Suganya said...

AWESOME!!!!

FH said...

Thanks Suganya:))

Lisa Johnson said...

Hi Asha! What a wonderful contribution for the cause! The pudding looks really good! I was going through the roundup and saw your name and realized I keep forgetting to come over to Aroma too. ; )

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi, Just going through Barbara's round up. It's lovely to find all these great new blogs. This saffron - vanilla pudding sounds wonderful and I think I'd love it in puff pastry. Perfect.

FH said...

Hi Anali,thanks,hope you try with Puff pastry shells.Aroma is just for contributing to events,so it's okay if you miss it:))

Hi Little foodie,you do realize it's me Asha from Foodies hope,right?!:))
Enjoy ,it's tastes great in the pastry.

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Asha, sorry, I meant new blogs to me as I myself am new to blogging. Just checked out your foodies hope blog for first time and love it. Indian food is one of my favourites and I'm very lucky to have an Indian sister-in-law. I see from your profile that you've been viewed many times so you probably wondered what planet I was on. Just a novice. Will def go back to Foodies Hope and try out some of the recipes. Thank you, Amanda

FH said...

Hi Amanda,now I remember you!:))
You did visit FH and left comments sometimes.I didn't recognize Little Foodie is Amanda.Enjoy the recipes.your SIL must know quite a few Indian dishes too!Thanks for visiting and happy blogging.

Unknown said...

hi asha, the saffron - vanilla pudding looks very heavenly:) ...

FH said...

Hi rv,good to see you back.Hope you are feeling little better now.Of course,we always miss our beloved ones.But life goes on somehow.Hugs to you:))
Thanks,hope you try sometimes,it's tasty and easy.Visit FH if you have time,my first blog anniversary!:)

Unknown said...

Hi asha , thanks a lot ..yes as u said life has to move on...memories are always treasured in our hearts, thats what keeps us going....

FH said...

You are welcome rv.It is true.Got to cope with life as it comes.Take care dear girl!:))

Unknown said...

Being a foodie I had been interested in the best that the world had to offer me. Now, Indian cuisine is something that I have recently been introduced to, nevertheless I have been hooked to it in a fashion, no other cuisine could get me. As it is, the more I delve deeper into it, I am simply amazed at its varied range. So here is this recipe for you, which is one of my personal favourites. It is known as Paneer Pudding, Saffron extract .

FH said...

Thanks. Paneer pudding sounds wonderful.