Vanilla Pudding Mix

I went through all my boxes of pudding and I was down to one box of vanilla, chocolate, and banana with my next batch of Amish starter up for the making.  I knew that I was going to be out of the pudding and needed more quick without paying minimum $1 a box because it certainly makes the recipes a lot less frugal. 

I did a search for recipes on the web because the recipe on Friendship Bread called for huge quantities of items....who has 3 cups of corn starch and dry milk powder sitting at their house?  Well, I don't and I started cutting the recipe down to half and half and I was getting blurry eyed and confused on whether the new quantities would work.  So second step was to search the internet and I found Brown Eyed Baker and her recipe for vanilla pudding mix.  It seemed like a more reasonable amount and it would make enough for five batches so it was the perfect amount to test out the recipe.  The added bonus is that I don't have to flavor it and then I can I can change it to put in any recipe with extracts or fruits.

Sadly, I only have two glass jars which are both currently full with corn bread mixture from my post earlier this month so I had to mix it up in my tupperware bowl but purple always makes me smile so it was a good choice even though it makes storage a little harder to fit in my cupboards.  Note to self:  More cute glass jars :)  I pulled out all the ingredients to make sure that I had everything that I needed.

I mixed everything in the bowl starting with the two ingredients that I wasn't sure if I had enough (first thing this morning so that I could go out and buy some more just in case).  I had plenty of everything and mixed it all up.  After that, it looked like this:

Now I only have to use a 1/2 cup to put in my Amish bread mixture and I will be all set!!! YEAH!!!

DIY Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

Yield: 20 to 25 servings (enough for 5 batches of pudding)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup cornstarch
¾ cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 whole vanilla beans

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, milk powder, and salt; set aside.

2. Split open the vanilla beans and use the back of a knife to scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the sugar mixture, and again whisk well to evenly combine, using a fork or the back of the spoon to break up any chunks of vanilla bean seeds. Cut the empty vanilla bean pods into two or three pieces each.

3. Place the vanilla bean pieces into an airtight container or jar, and add the sugar mixture. Seal it, and then give it a few good shakes to distribute the vanilla bean pieces evenly. Store in a cool, dry place.

To make pudding: Combine 2 cups of milk with ½ cup of the instant pudding mix in a medium saucepan over high heat, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, and then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and continue whisking until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 3 to 5 minutes). Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.