Vanilla Pudding with Graham Cracker Crumble

Pudding is one of those nostalgic foods, so simple but so good. When I was a kid, I ate a lot of it. Even in the middle of the day after my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Seriously, who has pudding with lunch? Oh, the luxury of childhood. I came across this basic vanilla pudding recipe, which comes together quickly, and I topped it with a graham cracker crumble, for a sweet, cinnamony crunch and a little more nostalgia in food form.

Vanilla Pudding
Recipe slightly adapted from Real Simple

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Pour 1/4 cup of whole milk into the sugar mixture, stirring to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining 1 3/4 cup milk and the egg yolks. Cook the pudding mixture over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 15 minutes. Do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Scrape the pudding into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the surface to make an airtight seal and prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. Makes 2 cups, serves 4.

Graham Cracker Crumble
2 graham crackers, broken into small pieces
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Break two graham crackers into small pieces using your fingers. Combine with melted butter and brown sugar. Stir then spread across a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for just 5 minutes.