Happy Winter Solstice

Happy Holidays Southern Hemisphere

Yorkshire Pudding 1737

Yorkshire Pudding, one of our favorites of all English puddings, 'fires' in the heat and photo above, a lamb roast.

Nowadays, everybody bakes this dish in the oven and serves it as an accompaniment to roast beef. 

In the eighteenth century it was always toasted under the fire and was usually served with mutton. Before the batter was put under the roast, it was cooked over the fire in a pan. 

The secret of getting the pudding to rise and become light, was to turn it over once or twice and gently toss it in the pan. 

It is much richer than a modern Yorkshire pudding because it absorbs the gravy as the meat cooks.

The earliest known recipe (see below) is called Dripping Pudding and dates from 1737. 

It is found in a cookery compilation called The Whole Duty of a Woman. 

This monumental work was one of the sources used by Hannah Glasse, whose The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy (London: 1747) is the first book to call it Yorkshire Pudding. 

Some other Georgian authors tell us to put a little ginger in the mix. 

As roasting in front of the range became rarer, the Yorkshire Pudding ended up being 'baked' in the oven with the joint, a case of the baby being thrown out with the bathwater. 

As has already been explained, slices of plum pudding were also 'fired' or toasted under beef roast and there were other puddings that were cooked in this way. 

In Georgian Scotland for instance, a pudding prepared from mashed potato, chopped onion, spices and eggs was baked in a dish under the spit. 

The radiant heat created by a good roasting fire is remarkably powerful at this low angle and can cook a pudding almost as efficiently as an oven. 

Dripping Pudding

Make a good Batter as for Pancakes, put it in a hot Toss-pan over the Fire with a Bit of Butter to fry the bottom a little, then put the Pan and Batter under a Shoulder of Mutton instead of a Dripping-pan, frequently shaking it by the Handle and it will be light and savoury, - and fit to take up when your Mutton is enough; then turn it in a Dish, and serve it hot. 

From Anon, The Whole Duty of a Woman (London: 1737)

Traditional English Trifle

We are so ready for this...

According to Amanda’s Cooking, the English didn’t “invent” the trifle, the Scottish did. The Scots have recipes that date back to the late 1500’s.

But, since Scotland and England united to become the United Kingdom, calling the trifle “English” is accurate enough.

This recipe is wonderful, borrowed from Amanda’s Cooking at:

Amanda's Cooking

Ingredients

CUSTARD LAYER

4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoon cornstarch

CAKE LAYER

9x13 white or yellow cake, baked and cooled

1/2 cup cream sherry

3 heaping tablespoons seedless red raspberry jam or preserves

FRUIT LAYER

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon cream sherry

1 tablespoon sugar

WHIPPED CREAM

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Custard

Combine the milk, heavy cream and vanilla in a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, stirring frequently. 

Heat the milk mixture over low-medium heat until it just begins to simmer and steam rises from the surface.

Meanwhile, mix the sugar and cornstarch together with a fork. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar mixture until light and smooth.

HINT: I use my KitchenAid for this, but only as a stand. 

I hand whisk but use the bowl of the mixer attached to the machine so that I don't have to hold the bowl as well. 

This allows me to whisk and pour at the same time, which is needed in the next step.

Remove the warmed milk from the stove and while whisking the egg yolks constantly, dribble a few drops at a time into the yolks. Adding the hot liquid very, very slowly in the beginning will temper the eggs, allowing them to warm gradually so that they don't curdle, or worse, scramble! 

Once you have dribbled in a good amount you can increase the amount of liquid you add at a time, whisking continuously until all the milk has been added.

Pour the contents of the mixer bowl into the saucepan and heat over medium, stirring constantly. 

Keep stirring, ensuring that the milk mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan, until thickened, anywhere from 2-6 minutes. 

Custard will be thick and smooth. 

Pour into a shallow bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap so that the plastic is touching the surface of the custard. 

This will prevent a skin from forming on top. 

Cool in the refrigerator until chilled.

For the Cake

Cut the cake into large manageable squares. 

Cut those squares in half horizontally. 

Open the squares so that the cut sides are facing up. 

Brush the cake with the cream sherry. 

Spread the sherries cake with the raspberry jam. 

Cut the cake into cubes.

For the Fruit

In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, raspberries, sherry and sugar. 

Stir to coat and allow to macerate. 

Keep in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the trifle.

For the Whipped Cream

Combine the heavy whipping cream and the powdered sugar in a larger mixer bowl. 

Beat on high for 2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. 

Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Assemble the Trifle

Place 1/3 of the cake cubes in the bottom of the trifle dish, jam side up. 

Top the cake cubes with 1/3 of the fruit, followed by 1/3 of the custard and finally with 1/3 of the whipped cream. Repeat layers two more times. 

Decorate the top with fresh fruit. 

Keep chilled until ready to serve.