Queen of puddings

This is such an easy and simple dessert but looks very difficult to make. But its not. I have seen this recipe a few times but it was only this year I gave it a try. Great one to make when feeding a crowd and is very budget-friendly.
You probably have most of the ingredients at home already.

 I  decided to follow the recipe by Mary Berry which I found in YouTube.  I didn't make my own jam but bought some jam. When buying jam try and get a good quality jam. The ones I like is Bonne Maman, D' alfore, Tova and Hero.

I used regular sandwich bread, day-old bread is best. I used about  4 slices and pulsed it to fine bread crumbs. If you don't have a food processor you can just crumble it with your fingers. Old bread crumbles very easily.

Separate the eggs,  use a very clean metal or glass bowl to beat the egg whites, as plastic bowls tend to have grease and this will prevent the egg whites from beating to stiff peaks.

Queen of Puddings has three layers, the bottom is a custard layer of egg yolks, milk vanilla, sugar, and breadcrumbs.

When cooking the custard layer,  you have to cook in a water bath.  Take a baking tray that's bigger than the one containing the custard. Place the custard dish inside the large baking tray.
Fill the baking tray with boiling water. Be careful when doing this because no water should splash into the custard. The water level should come halfway of the custard dish ( from outside) . 

It is best to do this part standing as close to the oven as possible so it is easy for you to transfer the whole thing into the oven without splashing hot water all over you and burning yourself.

Notice the water level outside the pudding tin.  

Next after baking the custard is spread a layer of jam over the now-cooled custard. (very important to let the custard cool as you won't be able to spread the jam on top.)

Then over the jam you spread the meringue ( thats whipped egg whites). This is then baked again in the oven till the meringue is golden.

Cool and serve!.

Yield: 8- 10 Author: Nammi 

Queen of Puddings

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 1-hour Total time: 1 hour and 30 mins

ingredients:

Custard Base

• 4 slices sandwich bread
• 50g sugar
• 25 g butter  plus and extra 1/2 tsp to grease the oven dish
• 600ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 egg yolks

Jam

• 1/2 cup Raspberry jam 

Meringue

• 3 egg whites
• 175g sugar 

instructions:

Custard base

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. The oven has to be pre-heated before u bake anything)
2. Grease a 6 cup capacity oven-proof dish ( or use a baking tray if you don't have one), with a little butter. set aside
3. Place the breadcrumbs in a food processor and process to fine crumbs. or crumble with your fingers if you don't have one.
4. Spread the breadcrumbs on the greased baking dish in a nice layer. set aside.
5. Pour milk into a saucepan and warm the milk ( not boil)
6. While the milk heats up, whisk the yolks and sugar together till pale. 
7. Add the butter in and whisk again. Carefully add a ladle of warm milk into the egg mixture,  in whisking as you add the milk ( best to have a helping hand when you do this step.  Then add the remaining milk, and whisk well. 
8. Pour the whole mixture into the oven dish, over the breadcrumbs. Set aside for 10 minutes. While that happens, bring your water kettle to boil. 
9. Place the prepared custard dish inside a larger baking tray. Then carefully pour hot boiling water into the outside tray till the water comes up to half of the custard tray.  
10. Carefully transfer this into the oven and bake for 30- 45 minutes. The custard should be just set with a slight wobble. 
11. Remove the custard from the water tray carefully ( be careful as its hot water in that!)  Set the custard to cool.

Jam layer

1. While the custard cools, place the jam inside a saucepan with a tablespoon of water and warm over low heat. 
2. Or u can place in a microwave and warm it. 
3. The jam should be spreadable. 
4. Spread the jam in a thin layer over the cooled custard. Set aside

Meringue

1. First pulse the sugar a couple of times to a fine sugar in a grinder.  Not powdery but fine
2. Preheat oven again to 150 degrees C. 
3. To make the meringue,  beat the eggs whites in a very clean metal or glass bowl.
4. Beat until frothy then start adding sugar a tablespoon at a time until all the sugar is used up and the mixture is white and stiff. When you feel the meringue mixture between your fingers it . You shouldn't feel any sugar bits. 
5. Now spread this mixture over the jam. 
6. Place this inside the oven and bake for another 20 minutes till the top is golden brown. 
7. Remove from the oven once it's done. Cool then serve. Can chill before serving too. 

Created using The Recipes Generator