This Queen of Puddings recipe is easy to make and a fantastic traditional British dessert. It has a base of baked breadcrumb custard topped with raspberry jam and a crown of fluffy meringue.
1cup(125g) white breadcrumbs(I whizzed stale bread in a food processor)
½cup(100g) caster sugardivided, plus 1 teaspoon to finish
2tablespoonbutterplus extra for greasing
zest of 1 lemon
1.5teaspoonvanilla extract
3medium free-range eggsseparated and whites reserved for the meringue
½cup(150g) raspberry jamor strawberry
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Generously butter a 1.5 litre/9” pie dish.
Bring the milk in a saucepan just about to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat, then mix in the breadcrumbs, half of the sugar, butter, lemon zest and vanilla, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Leave for approximately 10 minutes to cool and for the breadcrumbs to thicken the custard. Beat in the egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue), then pour the mixture into the prepared pie dish.
Bake for 30 minutes until the custard is set, but still wobbles slightly. Leave the oven on.
Meanwhile, melt the jam in a small saucepan, then set aside to cool slightly.
For the meringue, use an electric whisk to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, adding the remaining sugar slowly a teaspoon at a time to form a thick and glossy meringue.
Spread the jam over the custard evenly.
Starting at the outer edge, spoon the meringue in large heaps over the jam, ensuring that it reaches the edge and is fully covered. With the back of a spoon, delicately tap the meringue to form decorative peaks. (Optionally, you can use a piping bag to pipe the meringue onto the dish). Sprinkle the top with the remaining teaspoon of sugar.
Return the dish to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is golden. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
To make this gluten-free, just substitute gluten free breadcrumbs.