Death By Chocolate Trifle, Ditch the Jelly and Sherry!

I absolutely, completely hate trifle: the jelly (which I hate in general) soaked into the sponge fingers has the most revolting texture, the canned fruit cocktail is abysmal, and cold custard.... oh, cold custard. My brother and my Dad love it (sans the sherry, because neither of them drinks), but I find it disgusting.

However! There are alternatives to traditional trifle for those who, like me, despise its very existence. At the end of the day, a trifle is simply a layered dessert which includes cream, cake soaked in a flavoured syrup, and some sort of other filling like custard and/or jelly and/or mousse. Once you know the basic formula, the ideas generate themselves.

In this trifle, I chopped two chocolate brownies into little cubes and sprinkled them with a simple syrup flavoured with peppermint vodka (which I made myself). I prepared some chocolate custard following this recipe.

I made a rich chocolate mousse by separating one medium (US large) egg, placing the white in a bowl for whipping, and setting the yolk aside. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of warm water I melted 1 ounce (30 grammes) of plain chocolate and 1 ounce (30 grammes) of unsalted butter. I then quickly beat in the egg yolk and heated it while stirring for a minute.

I whipped the egg white with 1 ounce (30 grammes) of caster sugar to form a stiff peaking meringue. I folded a third of the meringue into the chocolate, then poured the now-lightened chocolate mixture into the rest of the meringue and folded through completely.

In two 10 ounce (280 millilitre) high-ball glasses, I divided the mousse and allowed it to set in the fridge for about half an hour before adding in the brownie pieces, the custard, and then finally some whipped cream with I had lightly sweetened with caster sugar and swirled with a little red food colouring for a festive feel.

One of these trifles is enough to share between two people, so you can divide the mixture among four tumblers or dessert glasses if you prefer!

If chocolate isn't your thing, you can:

• Make individual tiramisu desserts, soaking lady fingers in coffee- and rum flavoured simple syrup, a traditional light marscapone mousse, and some whipped cream.
• Layer slices of jammy Swiss roll with strawberry mousse (like Angel Delight) and cream.
• Gently sprinkle some gingerbread slices with rum and layer with some thick caramel and whipped cream.

However you make your trifle, be sure to keep it in the fridge for no more than 3 days.

Ice-Cream Month: Proper Custard Ice-Cream, a Kitchen Experiment

This one is admittedly quite experimental, but I want to share with you my no-churn real vanilla ice-cream adventures.

No churn ice-cream made with condensed milk is very tasty, but it's got nothing on vanilla ice-cream made with a good custard. However, these kinds of custard ice-creams are almost impossible to make nicely without an ice-cream machine.

I decided to do some serious research, and this brought me to Serious Eat's own experimentations with no churn ice-cream. In their article on how best to make traditional ice-cream without a machine, they came up with this method: essentially, you make the custard without the cream, freeze it into cubes, then use the cream to blend the ice cubes into an ice-cream with the food processor.

It's a neat trick, but I wanted to try and get back to an even more basic method, without any machinery. I took inspiration from their recipe, and came up with something that's somewhere between a semifreddo and a traditional ice-cream.

So, read below how I did this experiment. I think it turned out surprisingly well: it was a little bit icy, but that'll always happen with no-churn traditional ice-creams.

INGREDIMENTS

• 2 medium eggs
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) sugar
• ½ UK pint (285 millilitres) whole milk
• ½ UK pint (285 millilitres) whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) vanilla essence

METHOD

• In a bowl over a pan of simmering water, beat together the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved and they have doubled in volume to make a pale, moussey mixture.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whip the cream to firm peaks. Fold in the egg mixture, being very careful to maintain the airiness.
• Gently fold in the milk to get a thin moussey mixture. Pour into a shallow glass or metal dish, and freeze in the coldest part of your freezer for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, take out of the freezer and beat vigorously with a balloon whisk to break up the frozen parts and mix them back into the unfrozen parts. Pop back into the freezer for another 30 minutes, and repeat the process 5 more times.
• After the sixth and final agitation, transfer to a plastic container with a lid and freeze solid, for about 2 hours.
• Before serving, allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

American Style: Chocolate Fudge Tart

What's not to like about a buttery pastry case filled with chocolate custard? Nothing, that's what!

I know recently I've been doing a lot of American style stuff, but I've been wanting to experiment with custard tarts for a while, and I thought making a chocolate one would be a good start! I am my father's daughter insofar as I'm a complete chocoholic, after all!

The filling has the consistency of a nicely firm set chocolate ganache, but is nowhere near as heavy as the traditional chocolate-and-cream confection: this is made with chocolate, butter, sugar, and eggs to provide something a little more custard like.

I've been tirelessly researching the science and ratios of custard tarts, and how eggs interact with other ingredients. I did so much research that my mind was beginning to be boggled, so I thought what the heck, let'd just experiment!

I decided to take my red velvet cake, and simply replace the flour with melted chocolate, maintaining its ratio to the butter, sugar, and eggs, and omitting all the liquid and leavening ingredients. And it was a tremendous success. Although at first I was doubting this project, because my pastry crust hadn't turned out as well as usual, the success of the filling more than made up for it! The filling is gorgeously soft and custardy, with a paper thin shiny crust.

This cake is a fantastic indulgent treat, and best enjoyed in small doses! This nine inch (twenty-two centimetre) tart should serve 12 to 16 people. I will definitely be continuing my experimentations with custard tarts.

INGREDIMENTS
For one 9 inch (22 centimetre) pie

• One 9 inch (22 centimetre) blind baked pie crust
• 9 ounces (250 grammes) plain chocolate, 50% cocoa or more
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) butter
• 3 medium eggs
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) light brown sugar
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mk.4).
• In a large jug or medium sized mixing bowl, melt together the chocolate and butter until smooth and without lumps. 
• Add in the sugars and mix completely, before beating in the eggs until well combined.
• Pour the mixture into the blind baked pie crust, and tap firmly on the counter top to release any trapped bubbles, Place onto the centre shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top has become a thin, shiny crust, and the filling is slightly puffed.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before chilling for about an hour or two, or until firmly set. Serve cold with whipped cream, or ice cream.

THIS TIME IN 2016: Chocolate Biscuit Cake, a.k.a: Rocky Road
THIS TIME IN 2013: Experiment: Homemade Sprinkles
No blogs on this day in 2014 or 2015.

Simple Danish Pastries (Wheat- and Yeast Free)

Kan du lide at wienerbrød? Continuing with my Central European vibe this week, I present the Danish Pastry!

These crispy treats are known as wienerbrød in their native land. It literally means 'Vienna bread', because all of the yeast risen laminated pastries we know and love, such as croissants and Danish pastries, were originally developed in Austria.

I, however, don't use a yeast risen puff pastry, I just use normal puff pastry. I tend to make my own, which is time consuming, but it means my mother can eat them when they're made from scratch with spelt. If you want the pastry to taste yeasty, however, you can bind the dough with beer instead of water. It's a neat trick.

Danish pastries look a little different in the United States, using fresh berries and sweetened cream cheese fillings. British style Danish pastries, which I'm used to, use more traditional fillings like jam, apple, apricot, and baker's custard, called crème pâtissière.

My pastries didn't rise as much as I'd have liked, because the pastry was warm before cooking, so PLEASE make sure the pastries are nice and cold before baking.

And don't be intimidated by the ingredient list, not by the seemingly complex construction: they're very, very simple, especially if you use shop bought ingredients.

This will be my last entry for this month, because my thesis proposal is due this week. Wish me luck!

INGREDIMENTS
For about 12 pastries, depending on size

• Double quantity of puff pastry, alternatively you can buy a pound (455 grammes) of premade puff pastry
• 1 egg, mixed with a tablespoon of milk
• Flaked almonds, to decorate
• Demerara sugar, to decorate

For the gluten free crème pâtissière,

• 6 fluid ounces (180 millilitres) whole milk
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) cornflour
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon (15 grammes) sugar
• Pinch of salt
• About a teaspoon (5 grammes) butter
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence

For the apple filling,

• 1 eating apple, something firm and tart like a Granny Smith, or Pink Lady, or you could use 4 ounces (115 grammes) of any other firm fruit, or berry
• 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) cornflour
• 2 tablespoons (30 grammes) brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon (1 millilitre) salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon (1 millilitre) ground cloves

Other fillings,

• Brown sugar and cinnamon
• Nutella
• Jam
• Tinned apricots or plums
• Dried mixed fruit

HOW-TO

To make crème pâtissière,

• In a small saucepan, mix together the sugar, cornflour, egg yolk, salt, and two tablespoons (30 millilitres) of the measured milk to make a smooth paste.
• Add the rest of the milk, stir well, and place over medium heat. Bring to the boil, mixing all the time, and boil for about 2 minutes to fully activate the starch.
• Remove from the heat and pour immediately into a bowl. Cover with clingfilm, touching the surface directly, and cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.

To make the apple filling

• Peel, core, and chop the apple into half inch (1 centimetre) pieces. Place in a bowl or jug, and add the other ingredients.
• Mix very well until the mixture becomes wet and saucy: the starch will draw the water out of the apple and mix it with the other ingredients.

To make the pastries,

• Prepare the pastry, which will take about two or three hours.
• Roll the pastry out to a rectangle measuring 12 by 16 inches (30.5 by 40.5 centimetres), cut into twelve 4 inch (10 centimetre) squares.
• Use each square to make a pastry following the instructions: braids, windmills, turnovers, or crowns. You can use the fillings as instructed above, or you can use shop bought fillings.
• To make the spirals, you need a 4 by 8 inch (10 by 20 centimetre) rectangle, so just keep two squares stuck together for the spirals. Follow the illustration below to make the spirals.
• Lie the pastries on the baking sheets, about two inches (5 centimetres) apart, brush the tops with eggwash, and decorate with flaked almonds or Demerara sugar if you like.
• Place the pastries into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before cooking. While they're chilling, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, Gas Mk.7), and flour two large flat trays.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer gently to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. The apple ones are nice warm, though.

HOW TO MAKE THE SHAPES

Spiral

Take the 4 by 8 inch (10 by 20 centimetre) piece of pastry, and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar, brushing it around with your hand to get it all to stick. Sprinkle generously also with ground cinnamon, Rolling from the short end, roll it up like a Swiss roll. Wrap up in cling film, and then chill for 30 minutes before cutting into half inch (1 centimetre) slices. Brush each slice with egg wash if you like.

Apple Turnover

Take a square, and place about a rounded teaspoon of apple filling in the centre. Imagine the square cut in half diagonally, and brush the edges of one diagonal side with eggwash to help stick. Fold over diagonally, and press the edges together firmly with a fork. Brush the top with eggwash and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.

Braid

Take a square, and visualise it divide into three. Cut the outer two thirds with slightly angled lines, and fill the centre third with whichever filling you like. Working top to bottom, alternately fold the pastry strips over the filling in the middle. Slightly pinch the open ends to close them up.

Windmills (Pinwheels)

Take a square, and cut diagonally into quarters, making sure not to cut all the way though the middle. Fill the centre part that isn't cut, and then take a corner of one pastry flap and fold it up into the middle, over the filling. Work around the pastry until all flaps have the same corner folded into the middle.

Crown

This is the easiest one. Take a square, and fold each corner down into the middle, but not all the way. Place the filling on in the centre, on top of the folded corners.

These are best enjoyed on the day they're made, but if you have any left overs keep in an airtight container for 3 days. These can freeze for up to a month, too.

Nothing on this day in 2016
THIS TIME IN 2015: Tiramisù Mini Cheesecakes (Wheat Free)
Nothing on this day in 2014
THIS TIME IN 2013: Dinosaur Kimberleys (Wheat Free)

Valentine's Day: Chocolate Trifles (Gluten Free, with Dairy Free Option)

Nothing says Valentine's Day like chocolate, and the only thing better than one kind of chocolate is multiple kinds of chocolate. Behold, a chocolate trifle for you romantic candlelit dinner for two!

This, I will admit, is something I've wanted to try for a while. My companion and I are big fans of the Cadbury dessert pots, which are split into a pot of chocolate custard, and a little pot of sweets, kind of like a split pot yoghurt. Although it's not actually yoghurt, he calls is a chocolate yoghurt.

The only problem with these is that they are actually quite expensive, and I thought wouldn't it be great to try and replicate it at home! That means, I can make a load of it for my companion to enjoy without parting with eye-watering amounts of money for the twin pots in the shop. Also, when you make it at home, you don't have ingredient lists that look like this:

Like, what the actual hell are half of those ingredients.

When you make it at home, you have six ingredients. Six. Not thirty-six. It is best enjoyed immediately after the custard has completely chilled, and only assemble the desserts just before you want to eat them.

INGREDIMENTS
Makes 2 dessert cups

For chocolate custard,

• 6½ fluid ounces (185 millilitres) whole milk, or milk alternative
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) cornflour
• 1 tablespoons (15 grammes) sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• Good pinch of salt
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) good quality milk chocolate, about 40% cocoa (or dairy free chocolate), chopped into pieces
• 1 or 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 millilitres) cocoa powder, to taste

To assemble,

• 5 ounces (140 grammes) chocolate cake suitable to your diet, cut into small cubes or crumbled into chunks
• Whipped cream, or cream alternative, for decoration
• Heart shaped sprinkles, for decoration
• Optional: 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) white rum, Baileys, or liqueur of your choice

HOW-TO

First, make the custard.

• In a small saucepan, blend the cornflour, sugar, vanilla, and salt with a tablespoon (15 millilitres) of the milk until it it smooth and there are not lumps.
• Add in the rest of the milk, stirring, then bring to the boil over medium heat, continuously stirring. Once it has reached the boil, continue to boil for about three minutes.
• Remove from the heat, then add in the chocolate and stir thoroughly until completely smooth.
• Return to the heat, and boil again for another minute or two.
• Allow the custard to cool to room temperature, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming. This will take about half an hour.

Then assemble the desserts,

• Using two wine glasses or pudding bowls, fill each glass about halfway full with crumbled cake. If you like, you can sprinkle with some alcohol for added interest.
• Divide the custard between the glasses, then chill completely in the fridge for about an hour or two.
• Decorate with whipped cream, either by dolloping or piping on top, then sprinkle with heart shaped sprinkles.

As previously mentioned, these are best enjoyed immediately. They don't keep very well: sometimes the custard goes runny if the cornflour is not cooked thoroughly enough into the custard. So eat straightaway on cooling, just in cases.

THIS TIME IN 2016: No blog

THIS TIME IN 2015: Strawberry Crumble Bars (Wheat Free)

THIS TIME IN 2014: No blog

Halloween 2016: American Pumpkin Pie (Wheat Free with Dairy Free Option)

And for another American treat, here's a classic: pumpkin pie! I've never actually eaten one before, let alone made one, so this was a genuine adventure!

This for me was quite a stretch. Not because it was in any way a stretch of my ability, because this was actually incredibly simple, but it was a test of what my palate can tolerate when it comes to weird and wonderful foods. Maybe it's because I wasn't brought up by Americans who eat this treat every year, but the idea of making a custard pie out of a vegetable is a bit out there as a concept to me. Nevertheless, I gave it a try!

To my understanding, dessert pies are enjoyed prolifically across the Southern United States: pecan pie, chess pie, Mississippi mud pie, buttermilk pie, key lime pie, and pumpkin pie are all slight variations on the idea of a custard pie. All of these are baked in the oven using egg as a thickener, and rely heavily on dairy, whether whole milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, buttermilk, or cream; butter, also.

I always think of pumpkin being fairly bland in flavour, but definitely savoury. So the idea of mixing it with evaporated milk, brown sugar and spices didn't make much sense to me. That didn't stop me, though.

The pie cooked well, and the surface was pristine, until I accidentally knocked it with the top knuckle of my pinky finger! Marred!

Another mistake I made, and this was a biggy, was I forgot to chill the dough. This meant it shrank when I blind baked it. As such, I had a few spoonfuls of filling left in the bowl that didn't fit into the case. If it had not shrunk, the filling would have been the perfect amount. The recipe is written with this in mind.

I wasn't brave enough to eat the final pie myself, to my shame. I did however try some of the uncooked filling: it was definitely sweet, with a nice spicy warmth, and a slight nutty flavour from the pumpkin. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't to my taste. However, I fed it to my friend Josie and she enjoyed it, so that's good enough for me!

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For one 9 inch (23 centimetre) pie

For the pastry

• 6 ounces (170 grammes) white spelt flour
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) butter, at room temperature, or margarine
• 1½ ounces (40 grammes) icing sugar
• Cold water, to bind

For the filling

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) pumpkin purée (buy it, or see below for how to make it)
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) light brown sugar
• 4 fluid ounces (120 millilitres) evaporated milk, or coconut milk
• 1 medium egg
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) ground mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt

METHOD

• Make the dough according to the instructions found here. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for an hour.
• When chilled, preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mk. 4)
• Roll out the dough to a quarter of an inch (5 millilitres) thick, keeping it as circular as possible. Lie over the rolling pin and lay into a 9 inch (23 centimetre) pie tin or dish. Press into the tin.
• Cut a piece of baking paper to fit over the pastry case, then scrunch it up. This helps it fit into the case better. Un-scrunch it and lay it in the case, fill with coins or dry rice, and bake for 20 minutes.
• While the case is cooking, prepare the filling. Mix all the ingredients together at the same time in a mixing bowl (preferably with a pouring spout) with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Don't be tempted to use a whisk: this will make it catch air, which will crack it during baking. See below for how to make pumpkin purée.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 150ºC (325ºF, Gas Mk. 2), and gently slide out the shelf with the case on it just enough that you can pour in the mixture. Pour the filling into the case slowly but surely, then push it back in gently.
• Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, or until dry on the surface, set about an inch (2 centimetres) all away around the edge, but still jiggly in the centre.
• Gently remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.

I have it on good authority (that is, the woman who ate this pie) that it was delicious. I wasn't brave enough to try it myself though, so if you want to try this recipe and take that leap of faith, be my guest!

Milky Ice Pops: Chocolate Flavour (Naturally Gluten Free; Dairy-Free Option)

What's that? One ice-cream recipe for May wasn't enough for you? Well in that case, have another one: chocolate ice pops!

These ice-pops are styled very much in the vein of an HB Mini Milk, which is essentially a milky water ice flavoured with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. I absolutely loved them as a little girl, but due to the indecorous manner in which I ate them, my Dad nicknamed them 'maxi mess'.

These were a bit of an experiment, it must be said. I will say, these turned out very much like those lollies you get when you freeze Angel Delight, but nicer (which wouldn't be hard). For those of you who don't know what Angel Delight is, it's essentially a sachet of instant pudding powder, and when I was young there would always be a recipe to try on the back of the packet, like how to make ice lollies or milkshakes.

When I revisited Angel Delight as an adult, I realised how truly disgusting it was, and vowed never to buy it again. So, to make these, I basically used a good old fashioned English custard recipe with some chocolate added to it. You could add a milkshake powder to make a strawberry or banana flavoured one, or you could leave it simply with vanilla essence.

Here is my sister Nixie Pixie holding one that she's nibbled, just to demonstrate the texture: it's kinda ice-creamy, kinda water icy, but it was mostly very tasty!

I used a four-hole ice lolly mould to make these, but used ice lolly sticks instead of the handles that were provided with the mould; they never work anyway.

FREE FROM
☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Gluten
☑ Wheat
☑ Eggs
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Dairy, but dairy alternatives are in italics
☒ Refined sugar products
☒ Cocoa (yes, I thought I'd contain it because I was allergic to cocoa for a time)

INGREDIMENTS
Makes 4 moulded lollies

• Half a pint (285 millilitres; 1 US cup plus 3 tablespoons) whole milk, or milk alternative
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar, or sugar of your choice
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) cornflour
• 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) cocoa powder, or hot chocolate powder of your choice
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: 1 tablespoon (15 grammes) butter, or butter alternative

HOW-TO

• In a cup or small bowl, mix together the sugar, cornflour, cocoa powder, and salt. Make sure it's well mixed and all lumps of cocoa powder and cornflour are broken up.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla essence until it just begins to bubble and steam. Remove from the heat, and add a few spoons of the heated milk to the powder mixture. Mix into a slurry, stirring until completely smooth.
• Pour the slurry back into the saucepan, stir thoroughly, then return to medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened into a custard.
• Once cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Make sure to stir it every so often so a skin doesn't form.
• When it is cooled, divide between the lolly moulds. If you don't have lolly moulds, you can use plastic cups.

There are a few ways to put the sticks in:

1. Clip two clothes pegs to each stick, and balance them on the rim of the mould. Make sure the stick is at least two-thirds of the way into each mould.
2. Line the tops of each hole with foil, and pop the stick through the foil.
3. Put the lollies in the freezer for about an hour and a half, then put the sticks in while they're half frozen.

To release them from the moulds, run under the cold tap until they become loose, then pop them out. Don't be tempted to use hot water, as it will melt the lollies and ruin their appearance.

Spotted Dick: a Traditional English Pudding (Wheat Free, Egg Free, with Dairy Free Option)

Since I made the Christmas pudding in a quarter of the time, I have had an itch for making steamed puddings. So, I've started off my series of experimentation with an English classic, though unfortunately named for nowadays audience, Spotted Dick.

Nobody does stodgy, heavy puddings like the English (well, Indian desserts are also fairly stodgy), and it's something that's kind of lacking in Irish cuisine. In fact, desserts aren't really a feature in Irish cuisine in general, except for the odd bread and butter putting, fruit scone, or "goody", which is a porridge made of white breadcrumbs, milk, sugar, and dried fruit (it's truly disgusting); we like dairy products big time, and most desserts here tend to be milky rather than bready or cakey.

Whereas across the Drink -- the land to which I owe half of my heritage -- desserts and puddings are a national pastime. Whether it's a dense and fruity Chelsea bun (which is a personal favourite of mine) or a steamed suet and syrup pudding, it's all about the stodge; filling every corner of the tummy.

My brother and I often talk about the stark contrast of the cakes section in Dunnes Stores (an Irish supermarket) and Tesco (an English supermarket that has stores in Ireland): the Tesco cakes and desserts section is far more comprehensive, including a whole section dedicated to steamed puddings, ready to eat custard, and evaporated milk.

Steamed puddings are the business, however, they're not truly understood by Irish people of my generation; maybe of the generation before us, but not folk my age. Golden syrup puddings are nice, but nothing is nicer than Spotted Dick.

Yes, you can giggle at the name, but essentially it's a like a plain sponge cake spotted with dried fruit, boiled for a few hours. The long cooking process gives it a beautiful caramelised golden crust, and a lovely dense moist centre. Traditionally, the dried fruit used is currants -- and sometimes citrus peel -- but here currants are expensive so I use chopped raisins.

It's really very simple to make: just flour, raising agent, suet, sugar, milk, and dried fruit. Now, because suet that you buy from the shop is neither vegetarian nor wheat-intolerance friendly, I use grated lard, or grated butter for an extra level of indulgence.

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts
☑ Eggs

CONTAINS
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products
☒ Dairy

INGREDIMENTS

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) white spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) baking powder
• 6 fluid ounces (170 millilitres) milk
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) vegetable lard or block butter, very cold
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) raisins, chopped into small pieces

If using unsalted butter, add 2 pinches of salt.

METHOD

• Lightly grease a 2 pint (1 litre) pudding basin with a little butter.
• In a mixing bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, and caster sugar together until blended. 
• Using a box grater, grate the lard or butter into the dry ingredients, dipping the grated side in the flour between grates. Using the fingertips, slightly break up the strands of lard or butter.
• Stir in the raisins, and then mix in the milk. Mix gently without beating to a thick batter.
• Pour into the pudding basin and smooth off the top with the back of a metal spoon or the tip of a rubber spatula.
• Cover the top of the basin with a sheet of aluminium foil, crumpled underneath the rim, or if your basin has a lid, use that. If you don't have aluminium foil, use a square of greaseproof paper with a pleat in the middle, and secure underneath the rim with some twine. Cook as instructed below.
• After cooling slightly on the rack as instructed, remove the cover and turn out onto a plate for serving.

To cook in a pressure cooker:

• Place the pudding in the cooker's steaming basket, or on an upturned side plate on the bottom of the pan. Fill the pan with boiled water to half way up the side of the pudding basin.
• Cover and lock, and bring to full pressure. If your cooker has pressure options, put it on high pressure.
• Once brought to pressure, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 45 to 55 minutes. After 45 minutes, vent to release the pressure and check the doneness of the pudding with a knife or a skewer: if there is any sticky under cooked mixture stuck to the skewer or knife, cover again and bring to pressure to cook for an additional 5 or 10 minutes.
• When cooked, vent to release the pressure, take the pudding out of the pan with oven mitts, and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

To cook in a normal saucepan:

• Find a saucepan big enough to accommodate the pudding. Place the pudding in a steaming basket, or on an upturned side plate on the bottom of the pan. Fill the pan with boiled water to half way up the side of the pudding basin.
• Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce to a vigorous simmer, and cook the pudding for 2 to 2½ hours, checking for doneness after 2 hours.
• When cooked, turn off the heat and take the pudding out of the pan with oven mitts, and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

This pudding is best enjoyed immediately after cooking with heated custard or pouring cream. It doesn't keep very well -- 2 days in the fridge at the most before it goes bendy -- so eat it quick!

Mini Chocolate "Melkterts" (Wheat Free)

Three updates this week! How I spoil you all.

I don't know what it is with my brothers and I, but there seems to be a family weakness for things South African: they each at a time were going out with a South African, I have a lot of friends who are South African, and theirs is an accent I could listen to all day. Their cuisine is a delightfully bizarre blend of all things European with the local twist applied, through spices and local vegetables.

My next oldest brother was going out with a woman who was a friend of mine in college, and she was originally from Cape Town. She really missed her home land, and would often recreate things she and her family would eat back home when she came around for dinner. Oxtail was her real favourite, spiced to Hell with dried bird's eye chillies, but another was Melktert, or "Milk Tart" as she called it.


Melktert is basically a pastry or biscuit-crumb base filled with a set vanilla scented custard and dusted liberally with ground cinnamon. It is absolutely amazing by itself, but what in this world cannot be improved with chocolate?

I used the same recipe for the bases as I used in my lemon meringue tarts recipe, but instead I made smaller cases using a muffin tin and filled them with a simple set custard, flavoured with cocoa powder.

FREE FROM
☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Gluten (unless you use gluten-free oats)
☒ Refined sugar products
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (check italics for alternatives)


 INGREDIMENTS

For pastry:

• 4 ounces (115 grammes) white spelt flour
• 2 ounces (55 grammes)  cornflour
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter or margarine
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt

For custard filling:

• 10 fluid ounces (285 millilitres) whole milk
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) cornflour
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) butter or leave out

HOW-TO

• Make the pastry according to the lemon meringue tart recipe, and cook into one big case or into little cases. Allow to go cold.
• In a saucepan, mix all the custard ingredients except the butter and blend into a smooth liquid. Cook over medium heat, mixing continuously with a whisk, until thickened. It will be the consistency of fairy thick custard, almost as thick as a pudding consistency. The longer you cook it the thicker it gets so if you want a really thick custard just keep cooking.
• Remove from the heat and stir through the butter. This will make the filling richer and shinier.
• Pour into the pastry and shake to level out. Allow to cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge.
• If you like, you can dust it with cocoa powder, icing sugar, or ground cinnamon.
  
  
  

As you can see, I cooked my custard quite thickly. I like an almost ganache like consistency with chocolate tarts, but you can set it softer, more like a chilled cheesecake, if you cook it less.