The third series of Downton Abbey started last week in the states, and it’s become an absolute hit over here. I am feeling slightly smug as I have already watched series three back in Ireland. There is something really comforting about settling down for an episode of Downton Abbey. The minute I see that Labrador in the opening credits, I instantly feel happy and relaxed. I love watching all the hustle and bustle in Mrs. Patmore’s kitchen and drooling over all those amazing desserts. Even though they hadn’t access to all the food we have nowadays, those cooks managed to create masterpieces with what little ingredients they had. Queen of puddings is a great example of a dish that contains the simplest of ingredients, but tastes and looks divine. It’s a delicious concoction of breadcrumbs, custard, fruit jam (jelly) and pillow soft meringue. It’s light, fluffy and the ultimate comfort food. So, if you are feeling a bit stuffed and sick of stodgy Christmas desserts, this is a great British classic to try. It tastes even better while watching Downton of course!
Ingredients
Custard
- 300ml/ 1 and 1/4 cup of milk
- Zest of half a lemon
- 15g / 1 tablespoon of butter (plus a little extra butter for greasing)
- 15g / 1 tablespoon of castor sugar
- 15ml / 1 tablespoon of bourbon (optional)
- 2 medium egg yolks (reserve the whites for meringue)
- 40g / 2 loosely packed cups of bread crumbs (I used gluten free)
Jam Layer - 8 heaped teaspoons of cherry jam/ jelly
Meringue - 2 egg whites
- 100g / ½ a cup of castor sugar
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 170C/340F. Grease 8 small ramekin dishes with a little butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into the base of each ramekin dish. To make the custard, place the milk over a low heat. Add the butter, lemon zest and sugar. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. Slowly trickle the hot milk into the beaten egg yolk, continuing to whisk all the time. Add the bourbon and whisk until well combined. Next divide the custard evenly among the ramekin dishes. Place the ramekins in a large roasting dish, as they will cook in a Bain Marie later. Leave to stand for fifteen minutes to allow the custard to be absorbed a little by the breadcrumbs.
Boil a kettle of water for the Bain Marie. As soon as the fifteen minutes is up, pour the boiling water into the roasting tin, so that it is half way up the side of the ramekins. Carefully place the roasting tin with the ramekins into the oven. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the custard has set. Remove from the oven . Carefully take the ramekins out of the roasting tin and allow them to cool. Now is a good time to lower the oven temperature to 150C/300F.
Once the custard has cooled, carefully spoon a teaspoon of jam into each ramekin, it should be just enough to cover the custard layer. Next, whip the egg whites with an electric beater. Whip them until they form stiff peaks, then add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time whilst continuing to whisk. Once you have added all the sugar and the egg whites are stiff and shiny, you are ready to pipe. Place the meringue into a piping bag with a piping nozzle (I used an open star nozzle). Pipe the meringue on top of the jam layer. Place the puddings in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. (No roasting tin necessary this time). Once cooked, the meringue should be a pale golden beige and crisp on the outside. Serve straight away with cream or ice-cream. This recipe is based on one by Mary Berry.
