Queen of puddings is a quintessentially British dessert made of a custardy bread base, fruit, and meringue. This layered concoction begins with a sweet mixture of milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, and fresh breadcrumbs. Fruit is added either to this base or between the base and the meringue top—the choice is yours. Use a thick layer of jam, any fruit preserve, a compote of seasonal fruit, fruit curd, or even marmalade. The pudding is crowned with a soft, chewy, fluffy meringue, making the dessert worthy of its name. Although somewhat royal, this easy-to-make recipe is comforting while not too heavy.
Ingredients
For the Pudding:
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1 cup (225 milliliters) milk (whole or full-cream)
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1 cup (225 milliliters) cream (double/heavy)
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1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/2 cup (110 grams) sugar (caster/fine)
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5 large egg yolks
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1 1/3 cups (140 grams) fresh breadcrumbs
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1/4 cup lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
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1 cup (225 grams) jam (or fruit preserve or fruit compote)
For the Meringue:
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5 large egg whites (room temperature)
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1/2 cup (110 grams) sugar (caster/fine)
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1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Steps to Make It
For the Pudding Base
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Gather the ingredients.
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Preheat the oven to 310 F/160 C/Gas 2. Lightly butter a 9 x 2-inch ovenproof pie dish.
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Place the milk, cream, and vanilla extract into a saucepan.
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Slowly bring to a gentle boil.
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In a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the egg yolks until light and fluffy.
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Still whisking, slowly add the warmed milk and cream to the egg mixture, taking care not to splash.
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Add the breadcrumbs and the lemon zest and mix to combine.
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Pour the egg and breadcrumb mixture into the dish.
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Bake the pudding for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture rises and is almost set yet still slightly wobbly. Remove the pudding from the oven and set aside to cool.
Make the Meringue
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Raise the oven temperature to 375 F/190 C/Gas 5. In a large, clean, metal bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
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Whisk in the caster/fine sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Continue to whisk until meringue is glossy, indicating that the sugar has been completely incorporated.
Assemble and Bake the Pudding
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Warm the jam or fruit preserves gently in the microwave or in a pan.
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Spread the fruit carefully over the cooled base.
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Cover the pudding with a thick layer of meringue.
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Sprinkle the meringue liberally with the confectioners' sugar.
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Place in the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the surface is crisp and lightly browned.
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Serve immediately.
Making Fresh Breadcrumbs
The term "fresh breadcrumbs" is a bit of a misnomer since you want the bread to be a little stale before processing into crumbs. If you don't have stale bread, you can toast pieces in the oven for about 20 minutes until they are dried out. Then tear up and add to the food processor and blend until coarse crumbs form.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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753 | Calories |
35g | Fat |
95g | Carbs |
16g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 753 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 35g | 45% |
Saturated Fat 20g | 102% |
Cholesterol 277mg | 92% |
Sodium 334mg | 15% |
Total Carbohydrate 95g | 35% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 7% |
Total Sugars 68g | |
Protein 16g | |
Vitamin C 10mg | 52% |
Calcium 191mg | 15% |
Iron 2mg | 13% |
Potassium 336mg | 7% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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