Queen of Puddings

This old-fashioned British dessert unites custard, meringue and strawberry jam to produce a show-stopping comfort pudding.

Queen of Puddings is an old-fashioned British dessert that was first documented in the early 17th century. Like many recipes of the past, it’s great for using up yesterday’s stale bread, in this case, as breadcrumbs. Queen of Puddings - also known as Manchester Pudding or Monmouth Pudding - traditionally combines breadcrumbs with milk and eggs to make an unctuous baked custard. Once out of the oven, it’s spread with fruit jam and topped with meringue, which is made from the spare whites left over from making the custard. It then returns to the oven until puffed and mallow-tender. It demands to be served with cream or custard to tie it all together. It’s usually a mighty, announcing pudding for a banquet, however it can be made small-scale too. This recipe serves 2-4 people pretty generously, and instead of the regular breadcrumbs, I’ve used something much easier to find in a modern kitchen - it’s tastier too. Use any sort of jam you fancy here too. Let’s go!