Turkish Burned Milk Pudding (Kazandibi)

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Using a mortar and pestle, grind mastic with 1 teaspoon sugar.

2. Step 2

   In a medium bowl, dissolve cornstarch and flour in 1½ cups cold water.

3. Step 3

   In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat milk and remaining sugar, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Whisk in cornstarch and flour mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 15 minutes. Boil for 30 seconds, then remove from heat.

4. Step 4

   Put a 9-by-13-inch flameproof metal baking pan over a medium-high burner and ladle in about 1 cup milk mixture, or enough to just cover bottom of pan. Let the pan heat to thoroughly burn the milk mixture. To get an evenly burned milky bottom, occasionally shift pan back and forth over the burner. (Make sure to wear oven mitts.) The darker the burned milk layer gets, the more flavorful the finished dish will be. Look for a deep chocolate brown color, just shy of black. Set the baking pan aside.

5. Step 5

   Add vanilla and the mastic mixture to milk mixture in saucepan. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then pour it over burned pudding in baking pan. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

6. Step 6

   Cut into small squares and transfer with a spatula to individual serving bowls, layering several pieces in each bowl, burned bottoms up.