It is therefore obvious that 'pudding' was always greatly looked forward to come school dinner time, well for the most part anyway. Here is another selection of some of the one's I remember ....
plain sponge squares
Quite simply a square of sponge cake, cut from a huge tray of it. Served with the infamous white as white, school custard, poured all over the top of it.
coconut sponge
Once in a while we would as a dessert be given a square of sponge, topped with a layer of buttercream? and coconut. I think I liked it. Memory is sketchy about it, apart from the fact that it was one of the desserts we constantly received.
coconut sponge
Once in a while we would as a dessert be given a square of sponge, topped with a layer of buttercream? and coconut. I think I liked it. Memory is sketchy about it, apart from the fact that it was one of the desserts we constantly received.
steamed puddings
This was a love hate relationship. I loved certain ones, hated others. I can't remember which were which except for treacle pudding, loved it. Especially if you got the bit with masses of treacle on it. What always spoilt it though, was the infamous school dinner custard that came with it. Sometimes it was just a plain steamed pudding with custard, sometimes a treacle pudding, and other times it was a chocolate pudding served with chocolate custard and other times; good ole spotted dick.spotted dick
A plain steamed pudding with currants in. The name is derived from the old English word for pudding; 'puddynk'. You can use my recipe below as a base for this; but switch the sugar to castor and the dates for currants.
steamed sticky date pudding
Years later this little story came to light. One of my students, Glenn W went on to become the South Island Trainee of the Year, NZ Trainee of the Year and then NZ Chef of the Year. The latter title gave him automatic membership into the NZ Culinary Team and sending him off to work in France. The following story he releated to me after his year in France, when we met at the NZ salon Culinaire, while I was surrounded by what was then my current batch of students
One day his Head Chef there told him he would be making a sticky date pudding the next day and supplied him with a recipe, that the Chef then proceeded to absoloutly rave over. On reading the recipe Glenn inquired where the Chef had got it from, "oh from a chef website years ago, I tried it, loved it and use no other recipe now, it works everytime, its delicious etc etc". Glenn replied Not Chef Tallyrand's website was it Chef"? When confirmed it was, Glenn explained I was his Chef at college and he had cooked this pudding recipe as part of his final exam.
You can imagine the street cred, I received from then on, from my gob smacked, open mouthed students.
recipe - steamed date pudding
175 gm dates (pitted)
125 ml milk
001 tsp pure vanilla essence
1/2 tsp baking powder
001 tsp baking soda
001 tsp mixed spice
100 gm butter
075 gm brown sugar (muscavado)
090 ml golden syrup
090 ml honey
002 pc large eggs
180 gm flour
recipe - method of production
Prepare a large pudding bowl and lid by generously smearing with extra butter, ensuring it is thoroughly coated, especially the base and lid. Lightly sprinkle with some castor sugar. This will lightly caramelise as the pudding cooks and forms a light crust so it slips out of the mould easily. If a large pudding bowl is unavailable use 8 x 175ml ramekins)
Chop the dates, and combine with the water and vanilla essence, bring to a gentle simmer, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Add the baking soda, powder and the mixed spice
In a bowl, cream the butter, sugar, golden syrup and honet together and gradually incorporate the beaten eggs, stir in the flour to form a smooth batter. Combine the batter with the date and water mix.
Pour into the prepared bowl, place on the tight fitting lid (if no lid is available use a triple layer of tinfoil, and secure with a rubber band), wrap the mould well with clingfilm (this ensures no steam enters the bowl) and steam for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
note - alternatively; pour the mixture into a small, straight sided roasting tray, (approx 20cm x 20cm) lined with buttered baking paper and bake at 160C for approx 45 minutes.
Carefully remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before trying to remove from the mould. Remove the clingfilm, carefully remove the lid, run a small knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto a large plate. Allow to sit for 1 minute and gravity should most of the work. Serve with butterscotch sauce and liquid or clotted cream. Or if you must custard.
You can imagine the street cred, I received from then on, from my gob smacked, open mouthed students.
recipe - steamed date pudding
175 gm dates (pitted)
125 ml milk
001 tsp pure vanilla essence
1/2 tsp baking powder
001 tsp baking soda
001 tsp mixed spice
100 gm butter
075 gm brown sugar (muscavado)
090 ml golden syrup
090 ml honey
002 pc large eggs
180 gm flour
recipe - method of production
Prepare a large pudding bowl and lid by generously smearing with extra butter, ensuring it is thoroughly coated, especially the base and lid. Lightly sprinkle with some castor sugar. This will lightly caramelise as the pudding cooks and forms a light crust so it slips out of the mould easily. If a large pudding bowl is unavailable use 8 x 175ml ramekins)
Chop the dates, and combine with the water and vanilla essence, bring to a gentle simmer, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Add the baking soda, powder and the mixed spice
In a bowl, cream the butter, sugar, golden syrup and honet together and gradually incorporate the beaten eggs, stir in the flour to form a smooth batter. Combine the batter with the date and water mix.
Pour into the prepared bowl, place on the tight fitting lid (if no lid is available use a triple layer of tinfoil, and secure with a rubber band), wrap the mould well with clingfilm (this ensures no steam enters the bowl) and steam for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
note - alternatively; pour the mixture into a small, straight sided roasting tray, (approx 20cm x 20cm) lined with buttered baking paper and bake at 160C for approx 45 minutes.
Carefully remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before trying to remove from the mould. Remove the clingfilm, carefully remove the lid, run a small knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto a large plate. Allow to sit for 1 minute and gravity should most of the work. Serve with butterscotch sauce and liquid or clotted cream. Or if you must custard.
jam roly poly
A British classic; no school meal repertoire would be complete without the king of stoginess; jam roly poly. This is another hate / love relationship I had. sometimes I loved it, sometimes not so much. We always got a generous helping and it seemed to sit in the stomach, like a lead balloon for hours and hours.
recipe - jam roly poly
002 cup flour
003 tsp baking powder
050 gm butter
075 gm shredded suet
150 ml milk
150 gm jam of choice
recipe - method of production
Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Place a sheet buttered greaseproof onto a sheet of tinfoil, both 50 x 40 cm and set aside.
Sieve together the flour and baking powder. Rub the butter into the flour, mix in the suet. Add sufficient milk to form a soft, spongy but not sticky dough (a little more than the 150ml may be required). Place onto a floured work surface and roll out to approx 30 x 20cm rectangle (the 20cm side facing you)
Spread out the jam (using more if you prefer) all over leaving a 2cm edge on the far short end. Sprinkle with sugar if preferred. Roll up tightly from the 30cm closest edge, lightly dab the jam clear edge with water and finish rolling. Carefully transfer to the prepared greaseproof with the seam side down. Roll to wrap (not too tightly), twist the ends in opposite directions to form a Christmas cracker like shape. Do not wrap or twist ends too tightly as the roly poly will expand as it cooks, too tight and it will explode open.
Place onto your wire roasting rack, set on the roasting tray and half fill the roasting tray with water. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly before unwrapping
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