English Desserts
Tasty Treats for the Warmer Weather
The English have a sweet tooth. Given that, it's inconceivable that we shouldn't have a wide range of English desserts to choose from whenever the fancy takes us.
In spring and summer, we spend lots of time outside. It's marginally warmer and there's plenty of delicious fresh fruit.
And the desserts we serve reflect that. From fluffy, delicate gooseberry or rhubarb fools, to Eton Mess with crunchy meringue and ripe strawberries, to light delicate rhubarb crumble or custard tart. And then, of course, there's that glory of an English summer: the summer pudding.
Summer desserts rarely take much kitchen time. So why not give one of these tradtitional English recipes a try?
Summer Pudding
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Summer Pudding is one of the most wonderful English desserts I know. Jewel colours, a silky texture, a flavour that simply bursts in your mouth and sings on your tongue - and all created from nothing more than bread and fruit. There's not even any real cooking involved. How much more wonderful can a dessert get?
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Custard Tart
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Beloved in England since the Middle Ages, custard tarts make a delicate end to a meal. They're equally good at a picnic or even with a cup of Earl Grey as part of a traditional afternoon tea.
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Eton Mess
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| Eton Mess is true summer food. A delicate mix of whipped cream, crumbled meringue and ripe berries. The original recipes calls for strawberries, and they're good. But ripe juicy raspberries also make a jolly fine pudding.
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Rhubarb Crumble
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Pink Rhubarb - arriving in late February - heralds spring like few other ingredients. And it's glorious in a crumble, offering fragrant warmth while it's still a little chilly outside, but hinting at better things to come. A true spring classic!
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Rhubarb and Custard
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When it gets warmer, you can take advantage of the first rhubarb by partnering it with nothing more than golden custard for this most delicate of English desserts.
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Rhubarb Fool
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The height of ecstasy for all rhubarb lovers, here the pink vegetable partners successfully with billowing clouds of soft cream. It even scales new heights if you mix a little elderflower cordial into the cream before adding the rhubarb.
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English desserts can be anything from a warming steamed pudding to a fluffy rhubarb fool. From a delicate sweet at a summer picnic to a substantial finish to a light meal. I'll be adding other traditional English recipes as I find and try them, so if you're looking for new pudding recipes to add to your repertoire, please check back here.
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