Mrs. Belford's Kiss Pudding (Vanilla Custard)

Mrs. C. Belford's recipe for Kiss Pudding is from a book printed in 1877 to benefit Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. It was reprinted in  Elizabeth Driver's The Home Cook Book, 2002. Instructions have been modernized.

Kiss Pudding

• 4 cups milk
• 3 Tbsp. corn starch
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/2 c. white granulated sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• lemon extract
• grated coconut

1. Put 3-1/2 cups milk, a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup sugar in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the 3 Tbsp cornstarch into the remaining 1/2 cup milk.
3. Whisk the cornstarch milk into the boiling milk.
4. Whisking quickly, add the 4 egg yolks.
5. Immediately turn down the heat and stir till thickened.
6. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.
7. Cool.

Topping:

1. Beat the 4 egg whites to a stiff froth with 1/2 cup sugar.
2. Flavour with a little lemon juice or vanilla extract (optional).
3. Put pudding in an ovenproof dish and spread the meringue (beaten egg white mixture) on the pudding, saving a little to moisten the top later.
4. Put pudding in the oven to cook the meringue.
5. When browned, remove from oven, sprinkle on some of reserved meringue mixture, over that sprinkle grated coconut "to give it the appearance of snow flake".