Lying somewhat forlornly on a shelf in the church kitchen is this dog-eared, food-splattered volume. Centennial Cooking Specialties was put out by the “Adult Club” of Crawford Park United in 1967. There are recipes in it from men and women for everything from appetizers, to main courses, to desserts to jams and pickles. There are names I recognize among the cooks, like Bennett and O’Reilly, and many others I don’t, Johnny-come-lately that I am.
With my sweet tooth, I turned immediately to the desserts section. As I’ve recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease, I was curious if there would be anything gluten free in there. Was “gluten-free” even a thing in the 60s? Probably not in so many words. Yet lo and behold, the very first dessert in the section, attributed to an “L. Smith” (Louise?) is a sort of custard called Kiss Pudding and guess what, ma? No flour, no gluten! I’m going to try it out this weekend. - Amy
Kiss Pudding
2 c. scalded milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
yolks of 3 eggs
3 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 to 1 tsp. vanilla
Scald milk over hot water. Add sugar and cornstarch mixed with a little of the cold milk. Continue cooking over hot water, stir until thickened and cook for 5 minutes more. Then add yolks gradually, cook for about 2 more minutes. Add vanilla. pour into serving dishes.
Topping
Beat whites of 2 eggs til stiff. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. fold in 1/2 to 1 square of melted chocolate. Spoon onto top of custard. Chill till serving time. Yield: 5 servings.