The Queen of Puddings (and Novels)
Her griddlecakes done to a golden-brown hue and queen Ann’s pudding of delightful creaminess had won golden opinions from all because she had a lucky hand also for lighting a fire, dredge in the fine self-raising flour and always stir in the same directions, then cream the milk and sugar and whisk well the white of eggs though she didn’t like the eating part when there were many people that made her shy and often she wondered why you couldn’t eat something poetical like violets or roses…
James Joyce, Ulysses
Neon Joyce
When I arrived in Dublin town on the last day of August 1997, my black cab took me through O’Connell Street and over the River Liffey. It was there I first noticed and continued to notice, that there was some kind of Joycean ode written in pink neon light at various points in the city. Small, unencumbered phrases, all from the monologues of Molly Bloom, the female protagonist with the famous speech in James Joyce’s masterwork Ulysses (I am equally if not more partial to Finnegans Wake, but Ulysses just took more steps out into the world…)
The phrases were many:
“I hate an unlucky man…”
“…and the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire…”
and the one I remembered seeing first:
“…O that awful deep down torrent O…”
I hadn’t yet digested a phrase so perfect as this.
I hadn’t yet read Joyce, other than Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, at that point, and I was enamoured and taken with the abstract idea of living in Dublin, and now, as my Croatian New Yorker eyes first beheld the stately and dynamic points joining Dublin north and south of the River Liffey, I knew that the actual experience of living here would be joyous, and elevated.
As the Liffey waters rushed past, dangling reflections of the pink neon words above, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.
Queen Ann
Puddings used to be referred to as “Poding” in the early 14th century, although those puddings were usually prepared in the stomach lining of a local beast; these we refer to today are more milk, cream, and custard-based. Thank goodness for that.
It was not Queen Ann, but Queen Victoria whom this custard-based pudding is based upon. For me, though, it was Joyce’s Ulysses that evoked the need to use this very British dessert to celebrate a very Irish St. Patrick’s Day.
A Literary Pudding
If you too wish to recreate a little Irish Lit history via British puddings, this is a great place to start.
The elements are relatively simple: Breadcrumbs for a base (I use Brioche since it is always sweet and velvety), pour on a basic custard, bake until set, add a layer of jam–raspberry is traditional, but the choice is yours–and don’t be afraid to do as I did and use a good quality store-bought jam-like Wilkins or Bonne Maman to save time. On top, make a meringue and pipe or dollop it on, baking it further. The end result is very sweet, but a delicious, legend worthy, taste of Victorian history and Irish art.
The recipe is below. I hope it gets you in the mood for sweet meringue, jam, brioche, and books. P.S. try reading books again. I fail as much here as anyone else, but we need to honour the written word for it lasts a lot longer than we do.
Queen Ann’s Pudding aka Queen of Puddings
Ingredients
Base / Custard
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- Zest of one lemon
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, I used the crumbs of two Brioche buns
Jam
Raspberry is traditional – use your favorite homemade jam recipe, or 2 jars of good store bought jam, like Wilkins or Bonne Maman
Meringue
- 6 egg whites
- 1 ½ cups uperfine sugar (you can thin out regular granulated sugar in a food processor!)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ Tbsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- Sprinkle breadcrumbs into agreased and lined baking dish (traditionally, an oval dish is used, butI had to use a large rectangular one. Do the best with what you have, but adeeper dish will be better for height.)
- Warm the milk in asmall saucepan. Add the butter, sugar, and lemon zest.
- Once sugar is dissolved, pourthe warm milk into egg mixture, whisking all the while.
- Pour the custard overthe breadcrumbs. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- If possible, place the bakingdish in a deeper dish filled halfway with water, Bain Marie style.
- Bakein 325 degree oven for 30 minutes until custard is set. Set aside to cool.
- Make the jam, or popopen 2 jars of your store bought jam;) You can pop the store bought jam intothe microwave for 15 seconds to loosen it a bit.
- Spreadthe jam onto the baked and cooledbase.
- Prepare the meringue: Whiskegg whiteson medium speed until peaks form. Continue to whisk on high speed whilst addingthe sugar a teaspoon at a time, until stiff, shiny, glossy peaks. You can addon the meringue layer with an offset spatula or pipe on top of the jam layer.
- Bake again at 325 degrees for afurther 30minutes, until meringue is tinted and firm.
- Once cooledcompletely, serve and enjoy.Read some Joyce with your Victorian sweets:)
Notes
- Save time with a good quality store-bought jam.
- Food process any type of bread you wish to use for crumbs.
- Allow the baked custard to cool before spreading the jam.