Queen of Puddings

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Queen of Puddings is a traditional British dessert, consisting of a baked, breadcrumb-thickened egg custard, spread with jam and topped with meringue.

Milk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest are heated to boiling in a saucepan. Sugar, butter and breadcrumbs are mixed into the hot milk, which is allowed to cool. Egg yolks and a whole egg are beaten into this mixture, which is transferred into a deep pie dish then baked in a bain-marie until set.

The firm, brownish base is then spread with jam — usually raspberry or black currant — and a meringue mix made from the reserved egg whites spooned over. The pudding is returned to the oven and baked until the meringue is golden, but still soft. The pudding is eaten hot.

Variant forms of puddings made with breadcrumbs boiled with milk can be found dating back to the seventeenth century. Typical recipes for modern Queen of Puddings can be found in many post-war British cookbooks, such as those of Marguerite Patten, Barbara Hammond and Jane Grigson.

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