Hasude is a very old recipe, cooked in different areas in Albania. It is a kind of pudding made with water and corn-starch. I believe it has Turkish origin. It is not the prettiest dessert, but it’s very easy to make and tastes really nice. I crave it time by time, especially in summer, because it is very light, and is usually served after being chilled in the fridge. It does not contain gluten, so if you’re gluten intolerants, you’ll enjoy it even more.
Despite being so easy to make I had never cooked it myself, just before some months ago. I started searching online, but the recipes and instructions were a bit confusing, so I wrote to Dhurata, a well-known food blogger in Albania, who is the best at bringing old recipes to life in a contemporary way. I made few changes to her recipe and ended up with this version.
Time : 20 min
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup without 1 tbs sugar
- 100 g butter
- 1 tbs honey
- 1 cup walnuts chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Directions
You may prepare it two ways.The first method starts with caramelizing the sugar and butter together, and the result is a red-brown hasude, with a light caramel flavour. While, the second method, which is simpler, skips the caramelisation step, and the result is a pale yellow pudding, which lacks the caramel flavour, but still tastes delicious.
Option 1
In a small bowl mix 1 cup of water with the corn-starch and honey. Melt butter and sugar together in medium heat, in a small saucepan until caramelized. Lower the heat and add 1 & 1/2 cup of water and mix very well. The mixture will get lumpy at the beginning, but do not worry, continue mixing, in low heat, and it will dissolve quickly. Once the lumps are dissolved add the mixture of water and cornstarch and continue mixing until everything comes together and thickens.
At this point you may add the cinnamon, walnuts and raisins if using them.
Pour the mixture into a 22 cm pan and let cool completely. Once it is cooled put it in the fridge to chill and enjoy with a sprinkle of cinnamon on the top.
Option 2
In a small bowl mix 1 cup of water with the corn-starch and honey. Melt butter, sugar and the remaining (1 & ½ cup) water together at gentle heat and wait until it starts simmering. At this point add the mixture of water, corn-starch and honey, mixing carefully to prevent any lumps and continue mixing until everything comes together and thickens.
At this point you may add the cinnamon, walnuts and raisins if using them.
Pour the mixture into a 22 cm pan and let cool completely. Once it is cooled put it in the fridge to chill and enjoy with a sprinkle of cinnamon on the top.
Yummyyyy!
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