Lost Desserts

[Treaclesandwich]

Sticky toffee pudding now stands astride the nation, from John O’Groats to Lands End. It’s everywhere. But it’s the grey squirrel of desserts. It’s victory has come at a terrible price, namely the wiping out of other desserts.

When did you last see a spotted dick or a jam roly poly? Or anything with suet? Or even a sponge that wasn’t bloody sticky toffee?

Don't get me wrong, I like the sticky toffee, but I’ve been to places where it’s the only dessert on the menu.

So what lost desserts need to come back? Is it even time for BLANCMANCHE to return??

This time of year in Australia cherries are in season
I am going to use fresh and canned to make a black forest gateau for my work colleague birthday.

A FB food group I am in is all about these puddings. Parkin was the recent highlight around bonfire night.

Ooh ooh ooh! Forgot to say….
Pineapple upside-down pudding with custard! I had a microwave recipe that took 12 minutes in the 80’s - delicious 😋😋😋

Loved the heinz puddings to steam, and reading this thread is making me very happy

@MovedonfromMartin pretty sure you can buy Arctic Rolls in the ice cream freezer section, it's from Bird's Eye. We had one a few years ago.

@Charles11 parkin is lovely - you can serve it warm with ice cream to make it a pudding (I love to have it that way). The flavour improves after a few days. We always have it at Bonfire Night - it is perfect for this time of year (we also make it in January).

Mmn yes Queen of Puddings!
Treacle Tart made with actual treacle, none of that golden syrup bullshit - with treacle it tastes so much better.
Syllabub (I guess it's a boozy version of lemon posset?)
Cranachan in a similar vein
Proper trifle
That thing you make with sherry, ginger nuts and whipped cream and roll it up
A nice big hazlenut pavlova
This is making me miss my gran, queen of the pudding makers!

I'm also fond of a proper savoury dumpling as well, made with suet or not. And a steak and kidney pudding is a thing of joy.

I'm not a fan of sticky toffee pudding.

I want profiteroles for dessert this Christmas but I am a terrible baker. I need to find some that aren't boozy .. Any suggestions?

Manchester tart! We’re in S. Wales but it used to be a thing round here. My friend and I have a shared love for it and text each other if we ever see it. Last time was on a pub menu in Ross on Wye in 2018.

Steamed sponge takes ages which is probably why you wouldn't find it outside the home. Its my fave and I've found the texture is due to the steaming not the recipe so often just make it with a normal sponge mix (eg victoria sponge). Hmm must try a nutella version....

Lemon curd one is good as is golden syrup. Just blob a load into the pudding bowl befire the batter, cover and steam.

Just a thought, has anyone tried a steamed pud in the oven? Surely the water doesn't get in so how the heat is applied is irrelevant as long as its covered and a low temp??

Green's Table Creams

I'd prefer gypsy tart over sticky toffee pud, I find it off putting when they put raisins or chopped dates in it.
I make my own rice pudding with lacto free milk, cream, maple syrup, nutmeg and Saffron which is really lovely, comes out a soft golden colour.
If I'm making Bread & Butter pudding I like to use chocolate chip brioche and a rich vanilla ice cream custard.
Love Rhubarb when it's in season aswell.

The Greens packet cheesecake was a wonderful thing.

I've just made Christmas puds for the whole family using my Grandma's recipe (possibly Great Grandma - but they are both long gone so will never know!). EIGHT hours steaming they took!! and the recipe says do 2 more on Christmas Day - I don't think so.

It was Symington's, wasn't it? The table creams? They were discontinued in 2018. I loved them!
Green's still do their Carmelle, though. Sets with carrageen rather than gelatin.

The other thing I haven't been able to get hold of lately is lemon jelly - the shops (I have tried most of the major supermarkets) seem to have all the other flavours.

The reality is that most cafes/restaurants get their food from the same few suppliers, such as Brake Brothers, so it's no surprise that most restaurants have the same foods on offer. They create "points of difference" from the way they're presented, sauces, etc., but fundamentally, the chunk of stick toffee pudding comes out of the same van in most places where it's on the market. The differences are portion size, whether served with cream/custard/ice cream, etc.

If Brake Brothers don't sell bread & butter pudding, then the vast majority of restaurants won't have it on their menus.

What is stopping you from making your own?
Although, the vast majority of these puddings are not restaurant staples.

@TomatoSandwiches - Thank goodness you spoke up! Gypsy Tart is the only way to go!

My goodness, I hated my junior school in Kent in the early 1970s, but I'd willingly cross its threshold one more time for a big square of Gypsy Tart!

This is like walking into a thread of clones of my father. He is 88 and hankers after all these things from his childhood that his mummy (his word!) used to make. I don't remember ever having most of them ever in my life and I am in my 50s.

These are so simple to make. My cookery books are mostly 1950s to 1980s. So I do these for puddings after a Sunday roast. Bread and butter pudding topped with desiccated coconut is lovely. Upside down pineapple cake. Home made baked Alaska.

I’ve just had my annual visit to The Assembly House. Gorgeous food. Gorgeous place altogether.

Perhaps the items mentioned here are "lost" in chain restaurants etc because some don't freeze well and can't easily be "dinged" in a microwave. After all, most will be frozen and delivered straight out of a Brake Brothers van!

I remember we had a family anniversary meal in an upmarket pub/restaurant. Our desserts were slow to be served, so I asked the waitress and she said "sorry, we've only got one microwave" - it kind of ruined it really!

Gateau Diane!

The loveliest, squidgiest, chocolatiest, meringue type thing.

I saw a crumble place when I was in London the other week, queue out the door. Great idea.

I love jam steamed sponge - or with golden syrup. Any form of crumble. Any fruit pie. Sara Lee chocolate gateau. Bread & butter pud - either with chocolate or hot cross buns. Basically just give me a load of pudding.

Agree with pp, many of those "legacy" puds were made stodgy to fill you up when times were lean I'd say. You know, when dinners were sparse enough so a pud would fill the gap.

Nowadays things are lighter and more "possible" to eat after a substantial main meal.

I do love just plain old apple pie or apple tart as we used to call it. I cannot for the life of me replicate my mother's fab version. I reckon she had "pastry hands" or something!

The perfect crumble ratio.