Many desserts in Mexico are cooked on the stove and served on a platter at room temperature. This particular one is from the State of Mexico and is prepared for Día de los Muertos celebrations. You can find ground blue corn at many specialty markets or online (see Sources), or you can substitute it for the white variety.

Ingredients

　　8 ounces ground blue corn

　　4 cups boiling water

　　1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

　　4 cups whole milk

　　1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

　　Pinch of salt

　　1/3 cup raw sugar

　　Put the ground corn in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the corn, whisking until dissolved; strain. Place the corn mixture in a large pot with the granulated sugar, milk, vanilla bean (scrape it with the tip of a knife and add it with the pod), and salt. Cook it at a soft simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and you can see the bottom of the pot when scraped with a spoon, about 1 hour. It will have a porridge-like consistency. Discard the vanilla bean, pour onto a serving platter or individual bowls, and sprinkle the raw sugar all over. Serve warm or at room temperature (place a thin piece of plastic directly o n top to prevent a crust from forming if you’ll be eating it later).

　　Reprinted with permission from My Sweet Mexico: Recipes for Authentic Pastries, Breads, Candies, Beverages, and Frozen Treats © 2010 by Fany Gerson. Photographs by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.Buy the full book from Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.