Dessert for a chilly night

This New England classic came from the Culinary Institute of America, which sends out recipes their staff is working on. It's an Indian pudding, made with cornmeal and molasses, one of those things you either love or hate. I happen to adore it. Serve warm with heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.

Indian pudding
Serves 8

4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cups molasses
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon

1. Set the oven at 275 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish or pudding mold. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil. Add the cornmeal gradually, whisking constantly. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the molasses. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the eggs and spices.
4. Pour the mixture into the dish and set it in a larger roasting pan. Place them on a rack in the oven. Add enough boiling water to come up to the level of the pudding.
5. Bake for 2 hours or until the pudding is firmly set. Let it rest for 30 min. Serve warm. Adapted from the Culinary Institute of America