FOOD NEWS
Eleanor Roosevelt's Favorite Dessert Was A Depression Period Classic
BY ELOISE ROLLINS-FIFE
As the First Lady of the U.S. during the time of the Great Depression, Eleanor Roosevelt designed several cost-effective menus, and one of her favorite desserts was hasty pudding.
It was a simple custard porridge made from cornmeal and easily modified to fit one's time and budget. It is a traditional New England recipe with roots in British colonialism.
The dish can be made with just a few relatively cheap ingredients, keeping in line with Roosevelt's plan to devise meals that cost less than eight cents per diner.
To make hasty pudding at home, all you need is cornmeal, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, milk, and spices. The pudding was traditionally cooked for hours to serve a smoother texture.
With its malleable base, you can add any toppings like cocoa or fruits to enhance its taste, but Roosevelt's favorite add-in was a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.