Hot Cross Bun and Butter Pudding

Grandma (Nan) was one of six children; she had two sisters (one older, one younger) and three brothers (two older, one younger).  The three brothers all served in the First World War and all three came home.

Nan’s husband, my Granddad, also served and survived – both were very religious and Easter was a special time for them.

Nan loved Hot Cross Buns; the spicier the better and made lots on Maundy Thursday ready for Good Friday, but one of her best recipes came later – Hot Cross Bun and Butter Pudding.

It’s on the Menu at Fancy Pans and here is the recipe for you to try if you have any left-over buns.

You will need a 2-pint baking dish (or you can make individual ones should you choose) – 

make sure it/they is/are well-buttered and set the oven to Gas 4, 350F or 180C (less for a fan assisted oven).

8 hot-cross buns

½ pint of milk (whole milk is best, but semi-skimmed is fine too)

2 tablespoons of double cream

2 oz sugar (I like Demerara, but caster or granulated is fine – your choice)

3 eggs

Slice the buns in half, butter them, then slice them in half again. Layer them into the buttered baking dish.

Put the eggs into a bowl and whisk them, then add the milk, cream and sugar and give them another good whisk. Pour over the buttered buns and grate a little nutmeg over the surface (or not if you don’t like it).

Bake for about 35-40 minutes.

It’s nice hot, but can be served cold too – and if you really want to, you can add more custard.

Enjoy!    

To see more about Hot Cross Buns and Easter, click here

And if you want to know why Easter moves and Christmas doesn't - click here

 © Karen Ette 2014

ADVENT

Original painting by Soren Hawkes @ Passchendaele Prints 

Advent is a special time and you can enjoy this Advent Calendar throughout December.  To see each day's article, you can choose from the index below to soak yourself in festive recipes, beautiful photographs, the stories behind the traditions and even the odd story and poem. Just click on the day to be taken there.  Feel free to sing along too.

Enjoy this wonderful Advent of seasonal greeting from Fancy Pans Cafe - please don't be confused by the dates of when the articles were written.

The Advent Calendar Recipe Book is now available from Amazon too - click here to see inside.

1st  The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; time to light the first Advent candle - Butternut Squash Soup 

2nd  Rejoice!  Christmas cake - plus gluten free          

3rd  Angelic!  Time to make your pickled red cabbage

4th Impossible - (gorgeous song) and Spooky

5th Need to make the biscuits for the Christmas Tree - and you can't beat a bit of Wham!

6th  Angel cakes, or butterfly cakes, or fairy cakes?  You decide 

7th Are you dreaming of Christmas yet?  

8th Nuts about trees - see why I hate them - and enjoy the nuts!   

9th Cristingle! - So what is a Christingle and what is the history? Click on 9th to find out.









10th  A donkey's dream - chocolate haystacks!     

11th  Mince pie time, but first you need some mincemeat

12th Let's build a snowman - even the kids can make these delicious sweets

13th  So, you've made your mincemeat, time to make the pies

14th  Who were the Shepherds? - great take on an old Carol - and a favourite amongst so many - Mutton Pies (obviously the shepherds weren't watching!)

15th  Broccoli and Stilton Soup - bang goes the Christmas Stilton

16th  More Stilton gone in these fab biscuits - and a bit of Elvis too.

17th  Cheese?  Cake?  Cheesecake?!  Oh yes!

18th What kind of straw do you like in your manger - I like cheese (and Elvis)

19th Great song, great poem, great drinks, great photo - this is Christmas personified.

20th  Mulled Wine and Mistletoe time!   

21st  Did King Herod get the Moody blues?

22nd Are we ready? - original poem

23rd What do you know about the Yule Log? 

24th  Christmas Eve a silent night on the Western Front, 1914 - original poem

25th  Joy to the World - and if you forgot to make or buy a Christmas pud -here's a quick fix

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Raspberry, Chocolate and Vodka Mousse

Today's Dessert of the Day comes courtesy of Kelly White.

Kelly has dropped three dress sizes, so it just goes to show, you can eat scrumptious food and lose weight.

Not suitable if you are tea-total, and as it has uncooked egg, maybe best avoided if you are pregnant.

This recipe has three of life's most mouth-watering ingredients:

Raspberry, Chocolate and Vodka.

You will need:

1 sachet gelatine (you can use agar agar instead if you prefer)
12oz raspberries
1oz cocoa powder
3 sachets Cadbury High Lights Hot Chocolate
4 tbsp artificial sweetener (Canderel)
1 lb (500g)  fat-free, natural fromage frais
1 tbsp vodka
1 egg white
A few raspberries and blueberries, to garnish

• Sprinkle the gelatine onto 4fl oz boiling water. Stir to dissolve and leave to cool. 
• Retaining a few for garnish, lightly crush the raspberries and divide between 4 dessert glasses.
• Sieve the cocoa into a bowl with the High Lights, sweetener, fromage frais and vodka.  Mix until smooth.
• Add the cooled gelatine to the mixture and stir well. 
• Whisk the egg white until stiff, then fold carefully into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon. 
• Divide between the dessert glasses and chill for 2-3 hours until set.

Garnish with the reserved raspberries and a few blueberries.

You can freeze the delicious desserts, if you can resist them for long enough to get them into the freezer.

Photograph by Kelly White

Thanks Kelly

Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb

When rhubarb it at its finest, the sun is usually shining then garden and culinary skills can be put to excellent use.

I remember, as a child, being given a rhubarb stalk and a small bag containing sugar – the original sherbet dip! Boy did it make your eyes water and jaws tingle.

Rhubarb is grown for its stalks, which, incidentally, are called petioles, from the Latin petioles meaning “little foot” which evolves into pediculus meaning “foot stalk”. It has been around for thousands of years in China and became more popular in England in the 17^th century after sugar was more readily available (and you definitely need sugar with rhubarb) although the earliest entry in the Oxford English Dictoinary is:

c1390 Pistel of Swete Susan  (Vernon) 112 (MED),   Columbyne and Charuwe clottes þei creue, With Ruwe and Rubarbe, Ragget ariht.

And  a gem from the 17^th century; the entry reads more easily:

?1760   H. Glasse, Confectioner:   To make rhubarb tarts. Take stalks of English rhubarb..peel and cut it the size of goosberries; sweeten it, and make them as you do goosberry tarts.

If you grow your own or are fortunate to know someone who does, always remember to cut the leaves off and discard them as they contain oxalic acid, which is poisonous.

Be warned - if you eat too much (stalks, that is) you may think you have been poisoned as its reputation as a culinary laxative is well known!

How wonderful that this modest plant is often spoken about on the stage - when lines are forgotten or a hubble of mutterings is called for, then the stock phrase is, of course: rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb.

Now you know all about this fascinating plant, if you go to the recipe pages, you will find some delicious ways to use it. Just click on the links below:

Rhubarb Crumble
Rhubarb and Ginger Yogabub (like a syllabub, but healthier and less calorific)
Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam

Rhubarb Crumble

Nothing is so comforting as a rhubarb crumble: the taste-buds tingle at the very thought.

It’s such a quick and easy pudding to make, there’s no excuse!

For the crumble mixture you will need:

8 oz self-raising flour

4 oz granulated sugar (no need for caster) – if you substitute 2oz of the granulated with 2oz of Demerara, it will give the crumble topping a slightly crunchy texture.

4 oz butter

3-4 oz porridge oats

And, of course, you will need some stewed rhubarb. Some recipes uses uncooked rhubarb, but I prefer to cook mine beforehand.

In a large bowl (or food processor) rub the flour and butter together until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the sugar and stir it in (don’t food-process this; if you’ve used a food processor, then tip the flour and butter mix into a bowl)

Stir in the oats, and that’s it.

Put the stewed rhubarb into an oven-proof dish and top with the crumble mixture. Put into a pre-heated, moderate oven (170°C , 325°F, Gas 3) for 25-30 minutes.

Serve with the accompaniment of your choice (custard, cream, ice-cream)

DON’T be tempted to put the crumble on top of the fruit if you are not going to cook it immediately., otherwise you’ll have soggy crumble, and that would never do.

Of course, you can use any fruit in the pie: apples, pears, gooseberries, etc. etc.

So, what are you waiting for?  Go make a fruit crumble for tea.

© Karen Ette 2013