Hungarian Vanilla Farina Pudding (Grízes Puding) with Black Pepper Cherries

About This Recipe

Grízes puding, a farina (cream of wheat) pudding cooked slowly in milk until thick and custard-like, is a genuine staple of Hungarian home desserts, often served warm with fruit compote spooned over the top. It's the dish Hungarian grandmothers make on a weeknight when there's little in the pantry but milk, farina and sugar, yet it tastes far richer than its short ingredient list suggests. The technique is about patience with a whisk: farina is streamed into scalded milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then cooked over low heat until it thickens into a spoonable, custardy pudding, usually finished with a beaten egg yolk stirred in off the heat for extra silkiness. Sour cherries, a fruit deeply tied to Hungarian desserts (meggy), are simmered here with a small amount of sugar and a surprising but traditional pinch of black pepper, which sharpens the tartness of the cherries rather than making the topping taste peppery.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 cupswhole milk
• 0.6 cupfarina(cream of wheat)
• 5 tbspsugar(divided)
• 1vanilla bean(or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1egg yolk
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt
• 2 cupspitted sour cherries(fresh or frozen)
• 0.25 tspcoarse black pepper(freshly cracked)
• 1 tbspcornstarch
• 2 tbspwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Scald the milk

   Bring the milk to a gentle simmer in a heavy saucepan with the split vanilla bean and salt. Do not let it boil hard.

2. 2

   Whisk in the farina

   Remove the vanilla pod, whisking constantly, stream in the farina in a thin steady flow to avoid lumps. Cook over low heat, stirring, 6-8 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

3. 3

   Add sugar and yolk

   Stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar. Off the heat, whisk a spoonful of the hot pudding into the egg yolk to temper it, then stir the yolk mixture back into the pot until glossy.

4. 4

   Cook the cherries

   In a separate small pan, simmer the sour cherries with the remaining sugar and black pepper over medium heat 5-6 minutes until the cherries soften and release juice.

5. 5

   Thicken the cherries

   Whisk the cornstarch into the water, stir into the cherries, and simmer 1-2 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened.

6. 6

   Serve warm

   Divide the pudding into bowls, spoon the warm cherry compote over the top, and serve immediately while both are warm.

Variations

• •

  Chocolate version: stir 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the milk before adding the farina.

• •

  Fresh fruit swap: use raspberries or plums in place of sour cherries when they're in season.

• •

  Dairy-free: use oat milk and skip the egg yolk for a simpler, vegan-friendly version.

Storage

Refrigerate pudding and cherry compote separately up to 3 days. The pudding thickens as it cools; loosen with a splash of warm milk when reheating gently on the stovetop.

Frequently Asked Questions