Vanilla Cornstarch Pudding

“Mom made a lot of cornstarch pudding,” recounts a young mother. “She would make it for Sunday lunch, especially if company was coming, and we would eat it warm. Often we would spread crackers with peanut butter and dunk them in it.” The most typical flavor was vanilla, but some cooks delighted their families by putting a dollop of chocolate right in the center of the full serving dish. “Mom would save a little pudding out, mix it with chocolate syrup, then spoon it back into the middle to give it all a little more flavor,” remembers a middle-aged woman. Preferences vary as to the proper temperature at which cornstarch should be served. Some insist on having it warm. Others are equally adamant about eating it cold. In cases where the batch is larger than the call for it, the first round is served hot; the leftovers are chilled.