Don't let the title fool you...this is NOT pudding! It's a desert made by layering
Lady Fingers with rich chocolate filling and served with
whipped cream.
This recipe has been a family tradition since well before I was born. I has been handed down from my Great-Great-Grandma, to my Great-Grandma, to my Grandma, to my
dad mom, and now to me. It has traditionally been the desert served for the men's birthdays (instead of cake), but in my immediate family, it is the desert served on Christmas Eve. You see, my dad's birthday is Christmas Eve. My Grandma was adamant that on Christmas Eve they celebrated my dad's birthday and not Christmas. Thus Ice Box Pudding is served on Christmas Eve.
Somewhere my mom has the recipe written in my Great-Grandma's handwriting but unfortunately, she couldn't find it in time for this post. Above is the recipe that was handed down to me. Written in my mom's handwriting, laminated, and ringed into a small book full of other family recipes.
Photo credit here. Keep reading to find out why I had to borrow a photo.
For such a long-standing family tradition, I realized that we had no pictures of our Ice Box Pudding or us eating it! You'll have to excuse the lack of photos for this post. I had to search the internet high and low to find an example that even remotely looked like our Ice Box Pudding. The above is pretty darn close. This year I'm determined to get some photos (but not before this post goes up)
Ok, enough rambling...on to the recipe...
- 2 Baker semi-sweet chocolate (4 oz)
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 4 Tablespoons water
- 4 Eggs (separated)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- About 1.5 packages of pre-made lady fingers
- Cool Whip
Melt the first three ingredients together. Cool a little, then beat in the 4 egg yolks. Beat the 4 egg whites till stiff then fold into the chocolate. Add the vanilla.**
Layer in a bread pan, beginning with chocolate, then lady fingers, then chocolate...end with chocolate. Refrigerate over night. Top with Cool Whip before serving.
**This recipe has gone through some revisions through
the years. Because it was originally made with raw eggs, we are now
working on adapting it using additional cooking time and egg white substitutes (to avoid
Salmonella!). After you beat in the 4 egg yolks, warm to a temp of 160 degrees (stirring constantly) then quickly plunge into ice water to cool. Use heavy whipping cream, powdered egg whites, or
meringue powder as a substitute for egg whites. Please note, if you use the original recipe I have posted here, we are not responsible if someone get sick from raw eggs. Eat with caution. (Sorry, had to post a disclaimer).
Family traditions make for special memories. In our home, it
is Ice Box Pudding on Christmas Eve. Do you have any special holiday traditions that you follow every year? Share them here by commenting or share them over in the
Toys In The Dryer Community so we can chat about them!