Vanilla Pudding with Crispy Kadayıf

During summer, one of my go to desserts is a basic pudding. It is fresh, refreshing and a good alternative for ice cream. But it is highly possible of us to get bored if we cook the same pudding over and over again. So, I go this recipe from my aunt. It is a vanilla pudding. But it is a little bit fancier because it is topped with kadayıf. 

Kadayıf is actually a Turkish dessert but it is also the name of the main ingredient in the dish is also called "Kadayıf". Kadayıf is basically a kind of shredded dough. Here in Turkey it is normally served with pistachios and a syrup. But I believe that a syrup-based dessert is kind of heavy for summer. So, I do not cook the classic "Kadayıf" during summer.

One thing to keep in mind: You can keep this recipe for 3-4 days but the kadayıf will get softer and softer each day. So, it is better to eat it on the first day. And believe me it probably will be finished on the first day.

This recipe is also like a cheesecake but without the cream cheese and double crusted. So, we can also call this one a fake-cheesecake :). 

Anyways, if you love crispy things, you are going to fall in love with this yummy dessert because it is not too sweet, it is delicious and very easy to prepare. So, here is the recipe for one of my favorite summer desserts. Hope you'll enjoy.

Ingredients:

For the pudding: 
1 L milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 packet of whipping cream powder (this is what I use)

For the crispy kadayıf topping:
250 g. kadayıf
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of less granulated white sugar


Directions:

1) Put the kadayıf in a resealable bag and freeze it. After you have freezes the kadayıf, crack it into small pieces. I used a heavy glass and my hands for this, so anything would work. 

2) In a large pot, melt the butter and add in the kadayıf. Sauté until the kadayıf is golden brown. When the kadayıf is golden brown, add in the walnuts and give it a stir. Then add in the granulated white sugar and stir for 1 more minute. Turn off the gas. 

3) In a separate medium pot, combine the flour and sugar. Then pour in the milk and make sure that there are no lumps. Continue stirring until the pudding gets into a thick batter-like consistency. Take away from heat and turn off the gas. Add in the vanilla and give it a nice stir. Let the pudding cool in the pot.
(Here you can see my grandmother's hands because as you know she still doesn't let me cook by myself. The second I pick a spoon, she says me to back off since I am still a baby in her eyes :) So, here you see a new pair of hands.)

4) When the pudding is not warm and not so cool, add in the whipping cream powder into the pudding and mix it with a hand mixer until the mixture is well combined for about 4-5 minutes. 

5) In a casserole dish, add the half of the crispy kadayıf topping into the bottom of the pan. Then our in the pudding and top it with the rest of the crispy topping. 

6) Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and serve it cold. 

Enjoy / Afiyet Olsun