Recipe: queen of puddings

Humble ingredients made grand

A pudding that some say dates back to the 1600s, ‘queen of puddings’ supposedly got its name from being a dessert enjoyed by Queen Victoria. It is perhaps odd that a pudding with such a grand name is one that is made from humble ingredients, and perhaps even made as a means for using up stale bread. A three layered pudding, the base layer is a custard-type of affair, combining fresh breadcrumbs–for which I used brioche–with a classic custard mixture. I added a little extra texture and flavour to mine thanks to the addition of almonds and lemon zest. This is baked and afterwards is topped with raspberry jam, the middle layer, and some thawed or fresh raspberries for a burst of freshness. The final layer is piped kisses of meringue, and it is then baked again just until the kisses are a light gold.

An easy dessert to make, ‘queen’ perhaps because of how the combination of humble things can produce such a delicious and beautiful pudding.