Posts tagged pudding

Malva Pudding

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Malva Pudding

T

his cheeky African delight was introduced to me over Easter. And I’ll openly admit it was a surprising delight and one that I instantly fell in love with. Not just because our version was soaked in brandy.

Significant to many a South African upbringing I’m told, I’m still unsure if brandy should be your choice of liquid for your soaking sauce. I was persuaded otherwise and failed to argue the point. After a brief research it didn’t seem out of the question but I’m led to believe a more water/sherry/orange juice based option is popular. However…I encourage brandy. And I encourage brandy in this dessert.

Malva is the equivalent of the English sticky toffee pudding except sticky toffee is significantly sweeter and made with dates. This moist, dense, almost caramelised texture is amazingly moreish. Once the seemingly normal sponge mixture has baked, commitment and speed are needed to lather the hot baked cake in a rich creamy sauce to the point where its almost swimming in liquid. Patience is then required to let this soak thoughtfully through the many layers. What you’re left with is a warm, dense, moist and gorgeously decadent pudding. Unlike sticky toffee (which I avoid on most occasions), this doesn’t come with a sickly sugary sauce. But don’t be fooled. It needs custard…and plenty of it. Malva swimming in custard would not be a crime.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

Cake

  • 30g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 125ml milk
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 2 free range eggs
  • 1tbsp apricot jam
  • 190g self raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • Pinch salt
  • Custard, to serve

Sauce

  • 250ml double cream
  • 115g unsalted butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 125ml brandy
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C Grease a large baking dish.
  2. Sift the flour and bicarb together with a pinch of salt and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, using an electric whisker if you have one, whisk the sugar and eggs on a high speed for a few minutes until pale and fluffy.
  4. Mix in the apricot jam and vinegar.
  5. Add the melted butter
  6. Add a third of the flour and fold into the egg mixture.
  7. Add a third of the milk and fold this in too.
  8. Continue alternating between flour and milk until you have a well mixed batter.
  9. Pour into your baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  10. When you have up to 10 minutes left on your baking, prepare the sauce.
  11. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Keep warm.
  12. As soon as the sponge has baked, remove from the oven and pierce all over with a skewer, particularly around the edges.
  13. Pour your hot sauce over the top gently at first allowing it to seep through and then add all of the mixture. It may seem like a lot but don’t panic. It will seep in eventually and be delicious. Leave to rest and absorb for about 20 minutes or ideally pop back in the oven with the heat off and let sit until ready to serve.

Serve warm liberally bathed in hot custard! This is also perfect to reheat if there should by miracle be leftovers.

Blackberry and Ginger Pudding

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Blackberry and Ginger Pudding

jess-blackberry-ginger-pudding4

T

his is one of the tastiest but easiest little puddings to knock up and its packed full of flavour and perfect for a winter evening with a steaming bowl of velvety sweet custard. Ambrosia obviously. But if you’re feeling the urge to make a your own creme angliase then my cinnamon version found here is great. Its not a steamed pudding as such but it may as well be with its warm spongy texture and comfort. I’ll admit the ginger is excessive but don’t be shy, you’ll appreciate the bounty if you go all in here – its a ginger pudding after all. A little lemon zest lifts it into a lighter pudding and the blackberries are just so god damn seasonal. And a nod to the ‘forage’.

This recipe if straight from Sky Gyngell’s ‘A Year in my Kitchen’ and I made no changes. Its perfect.

Serves 4

  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 100g self raising flour
  • Zest 2 lemons
  • 4 knobs of stem ginger, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp golden syrup
  • Blackberries
  • Pinch salt
  1. Grease 4 mini pudding moulds or ramekins. I also lined the base with a little parchment to stop it sticking. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and smooth.
  3. Beat in the eggs one by one until combined
  4. Next sift in the flour and fold in.
  5. Fold in the lemon zest and ginger.
  6. Spoon a generous tbsp of golden syrup into the base of each pudding bowl. Top with enough blackberries to cover the base in a single layer. Spoon over the sponge mixture divided between each mould.
  7. Grease 4 small sheets of foil and cover the moulds loosely with it. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.
  8. Turn out onto a plate and serve warm with a steaming helping of custard.

jess-blackberry-ginger-pudding3

Gooseberry Cobbler

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Gooseberry Cobbler

I

 feel ashamed to call this cooking. Assembling if you like. It must be one of the easiest puddings out there – hearty and warming. It doesn’t have a chance against a crumble I’ll be the first to admit but lets just say its the crumbles foreign not so pretty and less intelligent cousin. With a sad tinge of Autumnal chill to the weather this weekend and being the first day of October my expectations of an endless Indian Summer were dampened metaphorically and literally after ending up a little wet at work.

A few weeks back I returned home to my Wiltshire bolt and origins of the real pantry to a bounty of delicious homegrown gooseberries! Picked from the allotment and waiting patiently for my greedy hands! So cobbler it was….adapted from Delia Smith.

Serves 4

  • 500g gooseberries
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp elderflower cordial
  • 225g plain flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 110g cold, cubed butter
  • 170ml buttermilk
  • Pinch salt
  • Demerara sugar
  • Ice cream/custard to serve. Or my cinnamon creme anglaise
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Start by placing the gooseberries in a baking dish and scatter over the caster sugar and cordial evenly.
  3. To make the topping, place the flour, baking powder, salt and cubed butter in a food processor and blend together until you have a breadcrumb like consistency. Then at this stage add the buttermilk and pulse until you get a sticky dough.
  4. Rustically distribute large tablespoons of the topping over the gooseberries making sure you cover the majority of the fruit.
  5. Sprinkle over some crunchy demerara sugar and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until the topping if golden, cooked and the fruit is bubbling up underneath.
  6. Serve warm with custard or ice cream. My cinnamon creme anglaise is recommended –  see here for full recipe

Jess - Gooseberry2Jess - Gooseberry3

 

Dorset Apple Cake

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Dorset Apple Cake

 

T

here is nothing like a bit of baking on a cold, drizzly weekend to ease and nourish the soul and there is nothing like the warming spices of cinnamon and ginger combined lovingly with a spongey sweet cake and some juicy sharp seasonal apples to bake! Devoured cold with a warm brew or warm and spongy with lashings of Ambrosia, ice cream or just a trowel-ful of clotted cream you’ll fail to not be comforted by this festive tray bake. Open to additional ingredients this cake batter would be beautiful marbled with chunks of sweet marzipan or topped with some flaked almonds or toasty pecan nuts.

Adapted from Marry Berry

Makes about 18 large pieces

  • 3 large cooking apples (About 550g)
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 225g unsalted butter
  • 225g light muscovado sugar
  • 300g self raising flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 large heaped tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 eggs
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a tray bake tin (about 30cm x 23cm)
  2. Peel, core and quarter the apples. Slice each thinly and place in a bowl. Squeeze over the lemon to prevent browning.
  3. Now, using an electric hand mixer or food processor, blend the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, half the cinnamon and ginger together before adding the eggs. Beat well adding a splash of milk to loosen for a few minutes until golden, glorious and combined.
  4. Spoon half into the lined baking tray. Top with halve the apples slices scattered randomly but evening over. Sprinkle over the remaining cinnamon
  5. Spread over the remaining batter and even out with a pallet knife
  6. Top with the remaining apples slices, pushing them into the batter slightly.
  7. OPTIONAL: Top with flaked almonds or nuts or a sprinkle or crunchy demerara sugar.
  8. bake for about 40 minutes until golden, spongey and firm and just communing away from the sides of the tray.
  9. Leave to cool before cutting. Serve warm with ice cream, custard or cream or at room temperature with a nice cup of tea!

Jess - Dorset Apple Cake3