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British Dessert, Traditional and Modern

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by: gwydion
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Word Count: 404

British cookery is often treated as a joke, not least in Britain. Memories of over-cooked school meals and stodgy desserts abound. Yet cookery in Britain is going through something of a renaissance, where traditional recipes are being re-invented and re-discovered whilst new techniques and new styles are being brought into the cooking.

It must be said, however, that British cooking has always tended to excel in the area of desserts. Here I present two desserts. A classic 'pudding' and a dessert from the new school of British cookery.

Blackberry Suet Pudding

Ingredients:
400g blackberries (or sufficient to fill), washed and cleaned
4 tbsp sugar
 450g flour
180g suet
pinch of salt

Method:
Place the flour, suet and salt in a bowl and mix together before adding sufficent water to form a stiff dough. Cut 2/3 of the dough and roll out on a floured board. Use to line the base and sides of a 1l heat-proof bowl. Tip the fruit into this and add the sugar. Roll out the remaining dough and use to cover the pudding. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper and use this to cover the pudding. Tightly cover the entire dessert in a double layer of foil, place in a steamer and boil for 2 hours. When ready remove the foil and greaseproof paper and tip the pudding onto a bowl. Slice and serve with ice-cold milk.

Gooseberry Fool

Ingredients:
450g gooseberries, topped and tailed
150ml elderflower cordial 
2 egg yolks 
1 tsp arrowroot
 150ml milk 
2 tbsp sugar
 150ml double cream
 fresh elderflowers to decorate (optional)

Method:
Add the gooseberries to a pan along with the elderflower cordial. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook gently until soft and pulpy (about 30 minutes). Allow to cool then transfer to a serving dish.

Meanwhile heat the milk in a pan until almost boiling. Beat the egg yolks, arrowroot and sugar together in a heat proof bowl. Stirring all the while, pour the milk into this mixture. When thoroughly combined return to the pan and heat gently until the custard thickens (do not boil!). Strain into a clean bowl and allow to cool.
Whip the cream (it should end-up about the same consistency as the gooseberries) then stir into the gooseberry mixture. Now fold the custard into the gooseberry mix (don't worry if it's not completely incorporated a marbled effect can look better). Place a few elderflowers on top and serve.

I hope you enjoyed these classic British desserts and that you will now investigate both traditional and modern British cookery further.