I decided to spoil Todd yesterday and made him a Malvern Apple Pudding. This is an old, old recipe which I got from a small booklet entitled Favourite Shakespeare Country Recipes. It differs from most of the recipes for Malvern Pudding out there in that it is a steamed pudding. Most of the recipes I discovered when researching it were actually baked and included stewed apples and a kind of custard. I even found a few that didn't have apples in them at all but berries.
Malvern is a spa town in Worcestershire, in an area which is known for its great beauty at the foot of the Malvern hills. At its centre, Great Malvern, is an historic conservation area, which was very popular during Victorian times due to the natural mineral springs in the vicinity. I am not sure entirely as to the history of this dish and which is even the proper way of preparing it, the baked or the steamed. Todd loves a steamed pudding however and I knew he would really enjoy this one as it is stogged full of lovely bits of apple and currants, or sultanas. Whichever you happen to have in the cupboard will work. I dare say dried cranberries would also work well. I used sultanas today.
I think these steamed puddings take Todd back to his school boy days and his school dinners. I know they get a bad rap, but he never minded school dinners. With meat, two veg and a pudding, he quite enjoyed them, especially the puddings, and the stodgier the better!
This actually isn't that stodgy. Its a bit like a steamed apple cake, moist and filled to the brim with lovely bits of apple and studded with sweet sticky sultana raisins. It is also flavoured with apple brandy. (Calvados) You can use ordinary brandy if you want. I happen to always have a bottle of Calvados in the larder, so that is what I used.
The serving suggestion was to serve it warm with either pouring cream, custard or brandy cream. Of course my custard loving husband chose custard. He loves his custard. You can find my recipe for that here.
Its not that difficult to make and is not at all overly sweet, so it goes very well with this pudding. Myself, I would probably like vanilla ice cream. But that is the North American in me coming out! And I guess ice cream is really frozen custard after all, so its not that different, and the hot pudding melts it so you get a bit of hot and cold, altogether very scrummy to my way of thinking!
I did taste a tiny corner of this and I have to say it is really delicious. It smelled heavenly when I tipped it out of the bowl, with all of the apples. There is a slight lemon tang as well, from the use of lemon zest and a tiny bit of juice. Simple and uncomplicated, I just know your family will love it as well. Also, there is no need to buy a special pudding basin to steam it in. Today I used my medium sized tempered glass mixing bowl and it worked just fine!
*Malvern Apple Pudding*
Serves 4 - 6To serve:
Brandy cream, custard or pouring cream
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a bit at a time. Stir in the flour to mix thoroughly. Stir in the apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, currants and brandy, mixing well together. (Make sure you cut your apples in a fine dice so that they will cook through!)
Butter a 2 1/2 pint pudding basin really well. (5 cup) Place a small square of baking paper in the bottom to allow for ease of unmolding when done. Spoon the apple mixture into the basin, smoothing over the top. Lay a sheet of baking paper over a sheet of aluminium foil. Pleat in the centre and spray the paper with oil spray Place on top of the pudding basin and secure around the edges, sealing well, with some kitchen twine. Place onto a trivet in a large saucepan (with a lid) and fill the pan to halfway up the side of the puddig basin with boiling water. Cover and steam for 1 1/2 hours, topping up with boiling water as necessary. When done a skewer inserted into the pudding should come out clean. Unmold onto a warm serving plate. Serve warm, cut into wedges with pouring cream, brandy sauce or custard.
Note - for a trivet I use a large metal canning jar ring, which works very well
It won't be long before Spring will be here and we won't be wanting these winter desserts, so I thought I would get in one more before we move onto other things. If you are looking for a tasty, yet simple dessert to feed your family this weekend, look no further. This one is all that and more! Bon Appetit!
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