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| Eve's Pudding with Alpro Soya Custard |
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| The finished Eve's Pudding |
I am at the end of a rewrite of novel #4, Becoming Belle, and I have, as usual, got my heroine eating her way through the plot. Early in the novel, Belle's domineering mother (in an off-page moment of sweetness) makes an Eve's Pudding for Belle and her two sisters to enjoy while their parents are dining with the regiment. So, naturally, I had to make one and try it for myself :) It's research.
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| The cooking apples with lemon juice and sugar mixed in |
I used Bramley apples because they're the best ones for this recipe. But, also, because when I was in England in August, doing final on-the-ground research for the book, we drove through the pretty village of Bramley in Surrey.
However, it turns out Bramley apples actually originated in Nottinghamshire and were named after a butcher called Matthew Bramley. But! The apple tree was planted by a girl called Mary Ann Brailsford - Mr Bramley bought the cottage and garden where she planted her tree. So, we should be making our Eve's Pud with Brailsfords, really :)
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| A fine Bramley (or 'Brailsford' ;)) |
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| The apples with the batter poured on |
After all that, I made the pudding today for my husband's birthday, we had it with custard, and it was delicious. The apples stew together and are nicely tart-sweet, and the flaked almonds give bite.
INGREDIENTS
Filling:
3 Bramley cooking apples (peeled, cored and thinly sliced)
75g brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sponge topping:
150g self-raising flour
75g butter or marg (room temp)
75g caster sugar
1 egg (beaten)
100ml milk
A handful of flaked almonds (optional)
METHOD:
- Pre-heat oven to 180˚C
- Grease an ovenproof dish.
- Mix the Bramleys with the granulated sugar and lemon juice.
- Spoon the apple mixture into the prepared dish.
- In a bowl, beat together the flour, butter, caster sugar, egg and milk to a batter with a soft dropping consistency.
- Spread this over the apples and sprinkle with the flaked almonds, if used.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C, bottom shelf, for 45 minutes or until sponge is golden brown.
(Cross-posted with The Hungry Veggie)
