Easy Stovetop Custard (GF!)

The Debater is sick on the couch with a swollen, sore throat and fever. This is the kid who has trouble keeping weight on, much less gaining it. One thing I can usually get her to eat, when sick, is custard, but the custard that I baked yesterday just didn't come out smooth -- you know that skin that can form on baked custard? Seemed a little rough for a tender throat.

I went looking for stirred custard recipes online this morning, and came up with this one:
http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/home-made-custard-L4433.html

The commenters seemed to agree that this was easy and delicious. I liked the fact that it didn't require a double boiler, and the recipe author's tip that if you add the sugar after you take the pudding off the heat, it won't stick to the pan.

So here's my adaptation:

Gluten Free Stovetop Pudding

4 eggs*
3 cups milk**
3 TBS cornstarch***
3 TBS sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together eggs, milk, and cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Continue whisking over medium-low heat until it thickens. Remove from heat, stir in sugar and vanilla.

The texture is thin, at first, rather like custard sauce (brings up memories of Anne of Green Gables and the poor mouse that died a romantic death), but thickens on standing. Very smooth and creamy, easy on a sore throat. I believe this might be similar to the "blancmange" that Jo brought to a sick Laurie in Little Women.

You could whisk in cocoa powder or melted chocolate, to make chocolate pudding, I suppose, but I thought vanilla might be a little easier for an invalid. 

* I doubled the eggs to add more protein. The original recipe called for 2 eggs.

** I used a can of Trader Joe's Coconut Cream, plus about a cup of water, to make up three cups. The kid needs calories. If she weren't for the most part dairy free, I might have used heavy cream instead of coconut cream.

*** I used cornstarch, as it's not something that we have trouble with. I assume you could substitute arrowroot or tapioca starch

I shared this post over at Time Warp Wife. There are lots of helpful links there!