Pop-Corn Pudding

After consultation with a former parishioner who is familiar with all things baking, and with older recipes that would have required a wood cookstove (thanks, Wanda!), I realized that, given the opportunity, I would make this recipe differently next time.

This recipe comes out of an 1899 cookbook from the First Congregational Parish in Cherryfield, Maine. Those church folk know how to put good food on the table!  I looked at this recipe as a custard. My former parishioner suggested that it is essentially a bread pudding with popcorn substituted for the bread. She said that the curdle I encountered came due to high heat. She suggested a heat of 325, and I might consider putting the baking dish inside a larger dish with 1 1/2 inches of water, to protect the baking dish. I had simply guessed at 350 degrees, since the recipe is so old that there was no electric oven heat suggested. The recipe states a bake time of 20 minutes. Wanda believes a bake time of about an hour, at 325 would work well. I ended up baking this recipe for an hour, but evidently the oven was too hot.

In spite of the slight curdle effect, the recipe turned out edible. I had used what was in my cupboard, which happened to be a maple-coated bag of popcorn. I think, another time, I would use plain popcorn. You then can flavor afterward, by drizzling maple syrup on the baked pudding, or perhaps sprinkled nutmeg.

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