COOKING DESSERTS & PUDDINGS

Serves 3 (or 2 hungry people)

1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder, rounded
2 pinch’s salt
3 eggs
450ml milk

Sift the dry ingredients.
Beat the eggs, then add the milk, mix well.
Using a fork slowly mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Leave to rest 30 minutes.
Cook in a hot pan in butter.

3 tablespoons small pearl sago (do not use instant sago)
600 mls whole milk, boiling.
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
3 Tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extra

Soak sago pearls in 300 millilitres additional milk overnight. In the morning beat the egg yolks very light and mix them with the sago, salt, and sugar. Mix into the boiling milk, simmerl for five minutes or until it thickens. Flavour with vanilla. Beat egg whites, and fold in.
Serve with stewed or preserved fruit.

Cooks tip:
Sago is one of the few puddings that freeze very well. Freeze in individual, freezer-safe containers. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Sago pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Can be cooked in a small crockpot.

Variations, Substitutions and Additions
For a dairy free version, substitute coconut milk or coconut cream for the milk.
Reduce the 2 eggs to 1, or omit the eggs for an egg-free version.
Use a sugar replacer (such as Splenda).
For a chocolate version, add cocoa powder and/or chocolate chips to the hot pudding.
Mix in raisins or other dried fruits.

For the crumble
200g plain flour, sieved
117g white sugar
134g butter, cubed at room temperature
Knob of butter for greasing

For the filling
450g apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm/½in pieces
1 dsp white sugar
1 tsp plain flour
1 pinch of ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Place the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit.
Butter a 24cm/9in ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.
Serve with thick cream or custard.

Serves 6

Ingredients

250g self-raising flour
50g light muscovado sugar
125g unsalted butter, frozen
1 egg yolk
150ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 jar good-quality raspberry jam

For the vanilla custard
4 egg yolks
30g golden caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
300ml double cream
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4 and place a roasting tin filled with hot water into the bottom of the oven to create some steam whilst cooking the roly poly.
Into a large bowl, sieve the flour and add the sugar. Grate the frozen butter into the flour and stir to mix. Make a well and add the egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients together until you get a sticky dough.
Spread the dough evenly on a greased and lined baking tray, then spread the raspberry jam over the dough.
Roll the dough towards you to make a roulade, then wrap loosely in the baking paper. Wrap the roll loosely in kitchen foil (as the roly poly will puff up during cooking) and seal the edges of the foil.
Sit on the baking sheet and place in the oven for 50-60 minutes until cooked through. Remove and leave to cool.

To make the custard, in a bowl beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour. Whisk until well combined. In a saucepan, heat the cream with the vanilla pod. Once the cream has come to the boil, slowly pour over the egg yolk mixture whisking all the time.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat gently until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pass through a sieve into a jug ready to serve.
Cut the roly poly into slices and serve with the vanilla custard.

CLASSIC CREAMED RICE

Rice in pre-Elizabethan times was so rare it was locked up in the spice cupboards of the wealthy and only eaten on special occasions. By Charles I’s reign (1625-49) rice cooked with milk, sugar and cinnamon was regarded as an aphrodisiac, no doubt due to its expense, though it certainly didn’t do Charles I any good – he ended his reign ingloriously beheaded!
Depending on the rice variety and brand used, additional cooking time may be required. While long-grain rice can be used, it will not be as creamy as it does not contain the same level of starch.

1 cup arborio or other short-grain rice
5 cups milk
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

Turn the slow cooker to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.
In the slow cooker, combine the rice, milk and salt. Cover and cook on high heat for 2 – 3 hours. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Let cool partially. Serve warm, or cover and chill.

Variations:
Chop 50-100 grams dark chocolate and stir into the rice. Stand for 5-10 minutes before serving as this will allow the chocolate to melt.

Use white chocolate in place of dark.

For a richer creamed rice, beat two egg yolks into the cream before cutting into the rice.

For kids, pop 2-3 marshmallows into the serving bowls before topping with the creamed rice; the marshmallows will soften quickly.

500g dried apricots
70g brown sugar
400ml water
1 tsp mixed spice
short-crust pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
Icing sugar for dusting
cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 170C. Place apricots, sugar, water and mixed spice in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, for 20 minutes or until stewed, thick and shiny.

Grease 4 small pie tins. Cut 4 rounds from pastry and carefully line tins. Fill with apricot mix. Cut 4 rounds from remaining pastry. Brush pastry edges with egg and cover pies, pushing edges together. Press edges with a fork to seal well. Brush pie tops with egg.

Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and cooked through. Remove from tins and serve dusted with a little icing sugar and a dollop of creme fraiche.

85g (3 ozs) Butter
85g (3 ozs) Sugar
1 Egg, 170g (6 ozs) Flour
Pinch of Salt
1 heaped tsp Baking Powder, rounded
200 ml (1 teacup) Milk (approx).

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Pour into a greased basin and steam 2 hours.

This pudding can be varied as follows:

JAM or RAISIN – Put 2 tablespoons of Jam or Raisins in bottom of basin.

DATE or FIG – Add 55g (2 ozs) of chopped Dates or Figs to the mixture.

SULTANA or CURRANT – Add 55g (2 ozs) Sultanas or Currants to the mixture.

COCONUT – Add 55g (2 ozs) Coconut to the mixture.

MOCHA — Add 1 tablespoon Cocoa and 1 tablespoon Coffee Essence to the mixture. (If no Coffee Essence add 1 tbsp of Instant Coffee to the dry ingreds and a little extra milk)

CHOCOLATE – Add 1 tablespoon Cocoa to the mixture (I add 2 good sized and a little more milk).

Serve with Custard Sauce