A fruity, custardy festive pudding sure to satisfy any cravings for a sweet treat
Who said you had to wait until Christmas to bring out the festive puds? An afternoon making something sweet and sticky to brighten a dark winter evening is always time well spent. This fruity, festive twist on a creamy pud is just one of the recipes in our Night Before Christmas feature in our December issue by Erin Baker. But we think you can make it as early as you like. And perhaps have a practice run or two beforehand just to be absolutely sure you’ve got it right…
Serves 4
4 large egg yolks
4 tbsp caster sugar
400ml double cream
100g blackcurrants
6 fresh bay leaves, separated
40-60g golden granulated sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C/ Gas 2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together until the mixture begins to lighten in colour.
2 In a small saucepan, heat the cream with 2 of the bay leaves until almost boiling. Remove the bay leaves. Add a little of the cream to the yolk mixture and whisk well, repeat adding a little bit each time, whisking throughout, until all the cream is incorporated.
3 Divide the blackcurrants evenly across 4 ramekins, then pour in the hot custard and stand a bay leaf in each (leave it propped against the side, it'll be easier to pull out later).
4 Move the ramekins to an ovenproof dish deep enough to accommodate hot water two thirds of the way up the side of each ramekin. Bake until barely wobbling in the centre, this should take around 30-45 mins.
5 When they’re almost completely set (you can tell if there's only a slight ripple in the middle when they're jiggled), gently tease out the bay leaves. Leave to cool to room temperature, then chill.
6Sprinkle the granulated sugar generously, but evenly, over each custard. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon then caramelise using either a cook's blowtorch or under a hot grill. If using a blowtorch, work the tip of the blue flame lightly over the sugar. If using the grill, allow it plenty of time to heat up first: they need to be caramelised quickly to allow the top to set without melting the underneath. Leave to cool at room temperature for 10 mins before serving, garnished with blackcurrants.
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