Fruit Pudding - Yummmm!

Fruit Pudding

Cook over low heat, about 5 minutes, till bubbly and fully incorporated:

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup mashed fruit*
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Cover bottoms of 4-6 ramekins with mixture, and set aside.
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1 cup water
6 Tablespoons powdered whole milk
2 Tablespoon sugar
6 egg yolks
dash salt
1 cup mashed fruit*
1/4 cup Flor de Caña 7 year old rum

Mix water and milk (I like to put them in a lidded jar, and shake it well).  In a heavy pan, scald milk with sugar. Beat egg yolks with salt until very thick. With wire whip, quickly stir a small amount of hot milk mixture into the yolks, then add the yolks slowly to the hot milk mixture, while stirring quickly.  Cook on low heat, stirring gently, a minute or two.  Strain pudding and return to clean pan.
Add rum and fruit; stirring gently, cook 2-3 minutes until pudding thickens.
Pour into ramekins, over the fruit mixture. Cover and chill.
Makes 4-6 servings.

* Fruit - I used mashed bananas.  Other fruit to try:  mango, strawberries, papaya, starfruit (seeded), or any other easily-mashable fruit. 

Notes:

• The rum could be removed (add 1 Tablespoon vanilla) or changed to go with the fruit (Grand Marnier comes to mind). 
• Likewise, you can add any spices that seem to go, like cinnamon with papaya.  Or fresh chopped mint with starfruit.
• You can mix fruit as well:  try sliced kiwis in the bottom, and mashed strawberries in the pudding. Or pineapple/papaya.  Or... :-)
• Normally, whole milk is made using 3 tablespoons of powder to 1 cup water.  Doubling the powder like this makes it creamier.
• This can also be served hot.
• I did something similar using Miel de Chiverri (available around Easter in Costa Rica) - it was ok, but needed something (not yet sure what that is).
• You can freeze the egg yolks if you first mix them with the sugar.  Then just put them and the salt right in the pan when heating the milk.  They can even still be slightly frozen!  If you do this, do *not* skip straining the mixture!