The Great British Pudding

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Posted at 12:02PM, 17 March 2009 by Carol Wilson - Food writer

A recent survey carried out by online independent education guide www.tom-brown.com, asked people for their memories of childhood dining and has revealed that Apple crumble and custard is Britain's favourite school canteen pudding, followed by Chocolate sponge with chocolate custard, then Jam roly-poly. Also in the top ten were Spotted dick and Bread and butter pudding.

These nostalgic old favourites have remained popular, even though most of us no longer eat puddings every day. A proper pudding after Sunday lunch or on a chilly day is a real joy. I always serve a traditional pudding when friends and family come for meals and it's great to watch their faces light up in anticipation as I put it on the table. And of course if you need cheering up, a helping of delicious pudding is the perfect comfort food!

A proper pudding after Sunday lunch or on a chilly day is a real joy

Britain can boast an astonishing number of mouth-watering puddings. At the end of the 17th century, a French visitor to England, François Maximilien Misson, praised the variety of our puddings when he observed, "They make them fifty several ways: blessed be he that invented pudding... Ah, what an excellent thing is an English pudding!"

British puddings and desserts (known in the past as 'conceited dishes') are still admired throughout the world. The mouth-watering array of rich, velvety syllabubs, custards, fools and trifles; substantial steamed and baked puddings, sweet milky cereal puddings, fruit crumbles and creamy bread puddings are unrivalled anywhere else. Despite competition from newcomers such as frozen cheesecakes and gateaux and novelty ice cream desserts, the traditional favourites still have a fervent following.

Everyone loves puddings and their sheer versatility means they can be adapted to suit the occasion - simple and homely, or impressive and extravagant. Nursery puddings such as Bread and butter pudding, for instance, become sophisticated and elegant when made with cream and a generous dash of alcohol.

If asked to name my favourite pudding, it would be very difficult! A steaming slice of sponge oozing golden syrup, surrounded by a pool of creamy yellow custard perhaps, or a fruity, nutty crumble served warm with whipped cream, or possibly Sussex pond pudding cooked with a whole lemon and sugar in the centre so that a buttery lemon sauce oozes out when the pudding is cut open... then of course there's the wonderfully rich, warm, irresistible flavour of anything with chocolate and cocoa...

What's your pudding of choice?

Comments

1-20 of 22 comments

Jo_Cooks

17 March 2009, 3:49PM
Jo_Cooks

Coincidentally, I plan to make a Bread & Butter pudding for friends coming over to dinner this Friday. I checked BBC Good Food this morning and was disappointed with the meagre selection of B&B pud recipes. Definitely my pudding of choice! It would be good to get the traditional recipe on here, please :)

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Chris Pakett

17 March 2009, 4:29PM
Chris Pakett

Happy memories of these tasty puddings. Even during the war a different pudding was served daily at school.I always tried to be in line for seconds. Can't manage two helping everyday now though, much to my disappointment.

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Aedara

17 March 2009, 4:52PM
Aedara

I have to wonder if I'm the only person who eats fruit crumbles and pies purely for the crumble or pastry? I think my favourite pudding would have to be anything with treacle or golden syrup in it, treacle tart with icecream or something like that. Not such a fan of the suet pudding style of treat although Jam rolypoly done right is excellent.

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PG

17 March 2009, 5:05PM
PG

Crumle anything is my fav dessert and you are not the only who loves the crumble, its the best bit. I love it when the topping has a bit of crunch to it and I also love it when it gets soggy from the fruit underneath. Apple and blackberry crumble is the best crumble ever!

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James

17 March 2009, 5:31PM
James

Jo Cooks - the B&B recipe is simple - the bread is cut out & buttered (you can melt the butter and spread with a party brush), and you can use shaped cutters. Layered up, raisins sprinkled. For the custard it's 1 pint of liquid to 3 eggs maybe a grating of nutmeg - you could use 1 pint milk, or half milk half cream. You can also spread the bread with lemon curd, or miss out the raisins and add Baileys to taste. 180 oC. About 1/2 hour. I'm thining a banoffee b & b would be good too - mashed old overripe bananas and toffee sauce or chocolate...... Made tapioca yesterday & today for the first time ever: http://www.thecotswoldfoodyear.com/2009/03/irish-potato-pancakes-for-st-patricks.html. Bit like rice pudding. Turned out very nice - shame you don't see that around much these days. Favourite puds? Maybe it's Queen of puddings. Cake, meringue and homemade raspberry jam in the same pudding - what could be better?

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James

17 March 2009, 5:33PM
James

Chocolate and orange bread and butter - another one to work on.......

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smitty

17 March 2009, 6:05PM
smitty

my granny used to make us Eve's Pudding - stewed apple with a light airy sponge topping and serve it with a big jug of custard. Bliss!

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Jonathan Bradley

17 March 2009, 7:45PM
Jonathan Bradley

Fantastic, yummy, dreamy memories. The great British pudding should have a conservation order on it. Q-tass Ltd. (www.q-tass.com) is one of the UKs most uncompromising providers of healthy Schoold meals, however I strongly believe that traditional puddings should be provided, should not be modified and interfered with and should be served with cream or custard. Puddings are often amongst the happiest memories of people from thier schools days. BRAVO. Crumble, BB pud, chocolate pudding, spotted dick, I could go on and on and on....

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Jo_Cooks

18 March 2009, 9:42AM
Jo_Cooks

Thanks James! I love the sound of the lemon curd variation, so will have a go at that for Friday... yummy ;)

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sioden

18 March 2009, 10:07AM
sioden

My new favourite pudding is Lemon Self Saucing Pudding - it's sooooooo good. I do love good bread an butter, and sticky toffee is high on the list as well. oooh and a tarte au citron. All depends on my modd. I am more of a cheese board post dinner, but if I had to choose a sweet, it would be one of the above!!

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carolann

18 March 2009, 2:03PM
carolann

For Bread and Butter Pudding you can also use marmalade instead of dried fruit and sliced fruit loaf, malt loaf, brioche or croissants instead of bread. A few chopped toasted nuts are good too.

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Nicola

19 March 2009, 7:53AM
Nicola

Oh, that's a toughie - perhaps spotted dick, or jam roly-poly, or rhubarb crumble (and yes, the crumble is by far the best part!).

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Jools food

19 March 2009, 10:14AM
Jools food

My recent "hit pud" I made for a dinner party was a home made arctic roll, made with with home made raspberry jam (last summers fruit) and home made vanilla ice cream. Retro heaven!! And a huge hit for all big kids. Yum

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flubbles1982

19 March 2009, 11:29AM
flubbles1982

I love semolina which I haven't had for years! Or traditional rice pudding that's baked in the oven, the skin was the best bit! Steamed sponge pudding with golden syrup and custard or vanilla ice-cream is delicious!

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James

19 March 2009, 2:18PM
James

Jo_Cooks, don't forget a little sugar too - missed that out above. 2 oz/ 50 g per pint/ 450 ml milk. The malt loaf and croissant alternative sounds delish too.

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MalcolmAnn

19 March 2009, 3:26PM
MalcolmAnn

This always makes people laugh but I hate fruit crumbles -the reason being it always gives me a headache. Believe it or not it is true!!

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Jo_Cooks

20 March 2009, 11:25AM
Jo_Cooks

Thanks James - I haven't done. Have all the ingredients ready to go for tonight. I'll let you know how my first bread and butter pud is received later... fingers crossed!

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boo

23 March 2009, 10:19PM
boo

anything crumble!!! but a favourite is strawberry crumble!

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manlie

25 March 2009, 10:44PM
manlie

Hi everyone!. Being 100% Spanish I must agree with you all that Britain has given the rest of the world the chance to taste its puddings. I must confess IÂ´m very fond of B&B one as well as chocolate which I now make at home and surprise my guests. Thanks also to this magazine IÂ´m able to buy whenever I travel to your country. First time IÂ´m reading this bloq and brave enough to drop some lines in it. Greetings to all. Hope to learn more from all of you through this website.

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Billy

16 April 2009, 1:27AM
Billy

Spotted dick (with sultana's) cooked in muslin with home made custard. Takes me right back - Absolute bliss.

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