Vintage Eats Recipe: 1992 Angel Pudding

When our family moved recently to another home in my hometown, a former neighbor blessed us with a dessert as a moving-in gift. She knew how stressed we were with the move and the gift of ready-made food was just the right thing.

My kids and my husband and I grew to love Jan (shown above) and Tom Moser for their friendliness and hospitality during the 33 years we lived in our old house.

Jan is a terrific cook and in the past, has gifted us with Baked Pecan Pie, potato soup, Scotcheroos — all homemade, of course. When she visited us at our new home with a creamy dessert she called Angel Pudding, I found out just how good of a cook she was (as if I didn’t know already).

The Angel Pudding was exceptionally delicious. I had never had it or heard of it, but knew I had to have the recipe.

Jan explained that she had made Angel Pudding often at a restaurant she and her husband had owned and operated in our town with other family members in the 1990s. The restaurant was called The Rustic Cove. These photos shared with me by Jan shows some of the scrumptious food available on their buffet. A dish of Angel Pudding is shown in the upper right corner of the photo above.

It was a successful restaurant that was often busy, especially on weekends. The buffet-style food was delicious and homemade. My family held my parents’ 25^th wedding anniversary there. The crowd loved the food!

Jan told me she has often made Angel Pudding in the decades since the restaurant closed.

I had never heard of Angel Pudding but was determined to have the recipe. Little did I know it had been under my nose for decades!

Angel Pudding was published in 1992 in ‘Dutch Delight II’, a cookbook from the Bluffton (IN) Apostolic Church of which Jan and Tom are members.

I was gifted with this cookbook by my parents, Joan and Hale Brewer, for Christmas in the early 1990s. Mom knew how much I liked the church’s first cookbook. I now have four of the church’s cookbooks and use them regularly. 

When I made Angel Pudding a few weeks later, it was just as good as Jan’s version — and again, it didn’t last long! Every time I make it, this sweet, smooth dessert goes down so easily, we think we’ve died and gone to heaven! Hence, the name of the dessert, I think. 🙂

Angel Pudding takes some time to assemble, but it is so yummy you’ll have people asking for it often! It’s economical too, and nutritious for those who need strong bones.

Jan provided tips for making this delicious dessert. Read to the end and enjoy!

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Angel Pudding

1 cup cold milk (whole milk is best, but I prefer fat-free)

1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin

½ cup sugar

3 egg yolks, beaten

½ cup sugar

Pinch salt

1 pint whipping cream

3 egg whites

1/4-pound graham cracker crumbs (a little less than 1 package in a 1-pound box), finely chopped in a food processor.

Fruit to add to the top

Directions:

Pour the cup of whole milk into a small bowl.

Sprinkle one envelope of Knox gelatin and ½ cup sugar over milk; don’t stir. Let set for 30 minutes.

Pour 3 beaten egg yolks into milk mixture; stir.

Add ½ cup sugar and salt to mixture; stir.

Cook mixture on stove to boil, stirring constantly—about 12 minutes. Don’t cook at too high of a temperature. If using a double boiler, cook for 15 minutes (water should boil; pudding will not). Cool 30 minutes.

Whip one pint whipping cream stiff (don’t sweeten).

Add to cooled egg mixture. Mix well.

Beat 3 egg whites stiff and fold into pudding mixture.

Place layers of graham crackers into bowl, alternating with pudding mix.

Top with fruit or edible holiday decoration.

Yield: 12 ½-cup servings

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Tips from Jan Moser:

1. A double boiler will prevent egg yolk mixture from cooking too close to the heat and possibly curdling.
2. Chill the bowl used to whip egg whites and whipping cream. This will speed up the whipping process and produce a more stable product. (I chilled my beaters as well).
3. Mix egg whites using a mixer. Place whipping cream in another bowl to mix. The reason for this order is because any trace of fat (including yolk) in a bowl can prevent egg whites from whipping properly.