Vanilla Pudding for Campfire Eclair

Making vanilla pudding from scratch can be a rewarding addition to your campfire eclairs. Here's a simple recipe that you can prepare at home and bring along on your camping trip. Once made, the pudding can be easily piped into your eclairs using a makeshift pastry bag from a ziplock bag.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg

Instructions:

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Add Milk: Gradually whisk in the milk to ensure the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
3. Cook: Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and comes to a simmer (this should take about 5-10 minutes). Once it simmers, cook for an additional 2 minutes to ensure the cornstarch is fully cooked.
4. Temper the Egg: In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add a few tablespoons of the hot milk mixture to the egg to temper it, whisking constantly to prevent the egg from scrambling.
5. Combine: Pour the tempered egg back into the saucepan with the milk mixture, whisking constantly.
6. Cook Again: Heat the mixture again over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat immediately to prevent the egg from curdling.
7. Add Vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract. Mix well.
8. Cool: Transfer the pudding to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator until cold and set, at least 2 hours.

Piping the Pudding:

Once your pudding is set and your eclairs are ready, here’s how you can pipe the pudding into them:

1. Prepare the Bag: Take a sturdy ziplock bag and scoop the chilled pudding into it. Try to eliminate as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
2. Cut the Corner: Use scissors to snip off a small corner at the bottom of the bag. The size of the hole will determine how much pudding is piped out, so start small—you can always make it larger.
3. Pipe the Pudding: Insert the cut corner into your eclair and gently squeeze the bag to fill the eclair with pudding. The back-and-forth motion can help distribute the pudding evenly inside.

Tip:

For a smoother experience in the wilderness, prepare the pudding at home and bring it in the ziplock bag to your campsite. This way, you only need to focus on making the eclairs by the campfire and piping in the pudding, saving time and minimizing the need for cooking equipment outdoors.