So I did my first ever proper video recipe. Lets just say it was challenging. Much harder than it looks and then you spend hours putting it together and then hiding your face behind pillows as you witness your lumpy bits rhythmically jiggling as you get serious with a wooden spoon…
The recipe was taken from Marguerite Patten’s book ‘Feeding the Nation’ which is a nice thick paperback book jammed with hundreds of authentic wartime recipes. You can buy it off Amazon used for just a few £’s. Click image below for further information..
The recipe I re-created was
Padded Pudding with Mock Cream
Make 1 pint custard sauce using 1 pint milk, 2 tablespoons of custard powder and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Leave in the saucepan. Add 1 mug full of fine stale breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of jam and a teaspoon of vanilla essence and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon into 4-6 dishes, allow to cool then top with mock cream and grated chocolate.
Mock cream
Mix 1oz of margarine with 1oz of caster sugar. Then beat in 1-2 tablespoons of dried milk powder and a tablespoon of milk until light and fluffy. Cool then use.
You’re adorable and your video was fabulous. It gives me inspiration to try a video some time for my blog. That recipe looks tasty, tasty! Thanks again for the share. I love your pretty display of it, too!
~ Tam Francis ~
http://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com
Awww thank you so much!!!! xxxxx
Yummy, thank you, on my list for this week. X
The video was great! I can’t wait to try the recipe… as far as any ‘lumpy bits’… you should probably think of it this way, those of use watching the video are more likely to be concentrating on how you’re making the recipe, rather than what’s going on in the background… with that said, I’d never put myself on video because I don’t like the sound of my own voice 😉
Thank you Tina! I did enjoy trying video- I guess it’s just another way to get the word out there about wartime recipes! xxx
“…your lumpy bits rhythmically jiggling…” I missed that part, I was too busy following the recipe; which looks good by the way. I will pass on the margarine and use butter for the mock cream. I’m also wondering if a bit of the vanilla custard on top would work or even lemon custard to give you different ways of serving it.
There are a 1000 and 1 uses for stale bread!
Yes you could add anything like that- the pudding definitely needs something on top and in Feeding the Nation |Marguerite uses a mock cream so for this recipe \I just followed that…. when it cooled down the pudding was quite firm and |I’ve just had a second out of the fridge for my supper 🙂 xxx
What jiggly arms bits?? I did not see any. Loved the video; love to try the recipe. As for it being wholewheat bread, didn’t WWII housewives have to make it with Lord Woollton loaves of bread, which would be nastier than wholewheat? Thank you for a marvelous video, and a tasty recipe to try.
I forgot to look for the lumpy bits jiggling, I was entranced by the cooking. Amazing Job Carolyn, I think you’ve hit on a real skill there. Not a word of a lie, you have as much charachter and engagement as Nigella, like her or not, she gets peoples attention.
Your recipes are just going to be a heck of a lot healthier and more economical. I am making these puddings for supper tonight.
Well done! I’m looking forward to the next one eagerly.
Golly – what a compliment!!! YES I know wartime recipes are not as exciting BUT there are a hell of a lot of people out there that can’t afford fancy food and there is a niche for some down to earth, simple and affordable NOSH. Am very interested in the historical aspect too. Thanks for your kind comment xxx
Well Carolyn, I made the puddings, yep, it looked like sludge. The family were around for dinner without warning tonight. The puddings are all gone and every glass was cleaned out. They were an absolute hit.
I now just have to make more so I can have another one. But I’m going to leave that for next weeks rations. I can’t use up the milk and butter on puddings all the time.
Though I’m quite suprised how little of my sugar ration I am using.
It looks so unappetising but tastes just fine with the mock cream topping! Like you I rarely ever get through my sugar ration as I don’t do puddings very often and don’t take sugar in tea. I read that people saved sugar for making jams and chutneys during harvest and also for celebrations such as birthdays, Christmas etc xxxx
I love stale bread recipes. Thanks! I will be trying this one.
It’s not bad despite the brown looking sludge!! xxx
I’ll have to try this recipe when I’m able to cook again. 🙂
I forgot to say now I have “Run, rabbit, run” now stuck in my head. LOL
I enjoyed your presentation. I don’t have powdered milk. Do you think it would work with whole milk and cornstarch or just milk?
Despite having followed your blog for some time this is the first recipe I’ve tried. My son and I cooked it after school yesterday and it worked really well. We didn’t have any powdered milk so used this mock cream recipe one serving of which gave just enough to thinly cover 5 puddings http://www.food.com/recipe/mock-cream-whipped-cream-substitute-221579
Husband and son both really enjoyed them and I felt smug that I had found a use for the 3 stale slices of bread that had been cluttering up the breadboard.
The comments about dried or powdered milk have reminded me that I still use mum’s method for soda bread, as well as for sauces & custards. I always have some of the dried whole milk powder in the pantry for these. I use 1 cup plain flour (custard powder for custard) to 1 pint water, whisk over a medium to high heat till thick & smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in 2 cups dried milk & whisk till thick & creamy. To turn the white sauce into other things you add your flavours now:
For cheese sauce add grated cheese & season.
For parsley sauce add parsley & season.
For chocolate custard add cocoa powder & sweeten to taste.
For coffee custard add coffee powder & sweeten to taste.
You get the idea ?
Here is an easy recipe for Soda Bread
Soda bread (UK), Damper (OZ), etc – it’s as easy as scones and an almost identical list of ingredients, which are:
1 cup of self raising flour
1/2 cup of powdered milk
Small amount of carbonated water, lager or beer
Method
Mix flour and powdered milk. Add water slowly and mix by hand until dough is moist and holds together without becoming too sticky. Heat a small amount of oil in frying pan until hot, reduce the heat then then add dough, shaped to fit the whole pan or hand shaped for scones.
Cook for a short time over the heat, then turn the items every so often to cook evenly, before turning and repeating process with other side. If you have a glass lid it’s a good idea to try to keep it on & watch the cooking process as small scones only take about 3-5 minutes or a loaf about 15 minutes. You could put it in the oven but it’s a bit of a waste of power when the frying pan method is so quick.
Again this can be varied with grated cheese, herbs, etc for savoury soda bread or add some sugar and/or dried fruits for a sweet version. My favourite sweet one is date & walnut.