Maybe British cuisine makes fun of the whole world, but I’ll be damned if I care. We make the best desserts in the world, and everything else doesn’t matter. With memories of horrible and sloppy school dinners in hand, today I’m going to venture into the kitchen and show you just how delicious and unique British desserts can be. Not a hint of chocolate in these recipes, just naturally good and healthy ingredients grown in the backyard and obtainable at the local farmers market.
Tallow and blackberry pudding: ingredients
This is a family favorite as we live next to some local parks that are filled with blackberries in the summer. We can go to collect one afternoon and bring a few kilos in plastic bags, then freeze them to use at any time. Will need:
– 400g of blackberries
– 4 tablespoons of sugar (more if the blackberries are especially spicy)
– 450g of flour
– 180g suet (or butter if you hate suet, but it’s not the same)
– Pinch of salt
Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix together the suet, flour, and salt, as well as enough water to form a nice solid dough. Using 2/3 of the dough (set 1/3 aside), roll out a medium sized circle. Use this to line the sides of an ovenproof pudding base, about 1 litre. Add the fruit and sugar, then roll out the leftover batter and cover the pudding. Paste a layer of parchment paper on top and cover everything with kitchen paper. To cook, you will boil the pudding. Do this with a large saucepan (big enough to fit the bowl all the way in) and fill it with water about halfway up the bowl (being careful not to let any water get into the actual bowl, so don’t flood it). Bring to a boil and simmer to steam the pudding for about 2 hours, but be careful to check the water levels frequently; you don’t want it to dry out or the container may break or burn.
Serve with milk, or your favorite sauce.
Gooseberry Fool:
Gooseberries are a wonderfully English fruit, and they’re easy to grow in your own garden or pick nearby. For this delicious dessert you will need:
– 450 g of currants, without the ends
– 150 ml elderflower cordial (or homemade concentrate)
– 2 egg yolks only
– 1 teaspoon arrowroot
– 150ml of milk
– 2 tablespoons of sugar (again, you may need more)
– 150ml double cream
Preparation:
Boil the currants in a pan with the cordial, over low heat until soft and pulpy (about 30 min). Cool, then reserve on a plate.
In another pan, heat a little milk but be careful not to boil it. Beat the yolks, eggs, and sugar in a heatproof bowl, then pour in the hot milk, stirring constantly. When fully mixed, return the entire mixture to the pan and heat to a little boil, until the cream thickens. Again, DO NOT BOIL. For the result, pass through a strainer and in another bowl, reserve.
Whip the cream and sit on the currants that you reserved earlier. Now add the custard as well, but you don’t need to mix as much as a slightly marbled effect is quite nice.
Serve like this!