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??

I have a real mental block about making lemon meringue pie, I’m convinced I won’t be able to do it! Was it difficult? Did you make your own pastry? And I’m ashamed to admit at the age of 55 I have never made meringue! 😳

It's really not difficult to do, just follow the recipe. Having said that, I always use an extra spoonful of cornflour in the curd and an extra egg too.

Make sure you get unwaxed lemons. I use ready made pastry and blind bake, although I have also used ready made shortcrust shells before too.

Whenever you make meringue, you need a clean oven as it tends to absorb odours, that's usually the hardest bit for me - having to clean the oven!

Mine too! Macaroni boiled in milk and sugar. And rice pudding, sago, tapioca.

Also butterscotch Angel Delight topped with grated raw apple. So good.

Must be something in the air, just made an apple and mincemeat crumble....you know, just to use up some mincemeat and pouring cream.

Serves 6 and I'm currently on my own.

I went to a friend's for Sunday lunch a few weeks ago. Her husband made a pannettone bread pudding for dessert. I dreamed about it all week then got a pannettone and made one myself. DC and Dh are now asking all the time when the next pannettone pudding will happen. It is the pudding of the gods and so easy.

When we lived in the States, I made a proper English trifle for a birthday party (I left out the sherry though, given that the kids were 3 and most of the parents were Southern Baptists).

The American parents were completely non-plussed - they’d never seen anything like it before.

Vegetable suet gives just as good a result as traditional suet. Give it a try - I've found that Tesco and Morrisons own brands are no different to Atora but half the price!

I agree. Veg suet is brilliant. I always use it now for Christmas pudding and dumplings so DS1 who is veggie can have them. Bit lighter in texture than normal suet.

A proper Bakewell tart with clotted cream
Eton Mess
Summer pudding
Apple crumble
Apple and blackberry crumble
Apple and raspberry crumble
Apple pie and cream/custard/ice cream
Border tart and cream/custard
Banoffee pie- haven't seen one on a menu in ages

I love a proper trifle or an Italian version 'Zuppa Inglese'- our local Italian makes it.

Please tell me your address....

Don’t forget Rice pudding 🤢 that can fuck off too. Who wants beige slop? Who wants a food that grows it’s own skin?

The skin is the best bit we fight over the skin in this house

I have an afternoon tea voucher for there. I won it in a raffle, off for it 25th Dec :)

My mum's rice pudding was to die for. I keep thinking of making of one but never get round to it. I buy sometimes Rachel's rice pudding which is nice but not the same thing. No grated nutmeg for a start.

Was it Instant Whip? That was v similar to Angel Delight

No, not instant whip, it was definitely mixed with water rather then milk.

I haven’t had jam roly poly in years, what a tragedy!

The ubiquitous brownie also has a lot to answer for, it squats with chocolatey malevolence next to the STP every time, and it usually tastes like a microwaved purse.

I miss crumbles too - you still get them sometimes but rarely given the attention and respect they deserve.

Tesco is definitely different from Atora - coated in rice flour rather than wheat flour (to stop it all sticking together) which means I can use it in gluten free recipes. GF cheaper than the normal product!!

Green’s Dessert Whip? I think you could add milk or water.

Instant Whip and Angel Delight were both made by Birds.

That's interesting. We've been speculating for ages on how to make a chocolate version, but haven't settled on a firm idea yet. I might just have to experiment!

I loved our school blancmange, it was pink and always served with a “melting moment” biscuit.

We took the train from London to Edinburgh and the dessert at lunchtime in first class was jam sponge and custard. It was delicious. We were sitting with some American tourists and they loved it.

We had banana and custard too, but with a slice of swiss roll added as well to add a bit more of a treat.
Home made rice pudding was another regular my mum made, I think because it was relatively cheap to make. Although I remember going to visit my Aunt, who had never made it before. She didn't realise the rice would swell and absorb the milk so she used a whole bag of rice, because it didn'tlook like enough in the dish. She'd had to send her dh to buy more milk and when we arrived she was in a complete tizz trying to rescue the pudding with no idea what she'd done wrong.

Also school butterscotch tart. I've tried to make it but I haven't found a recipe that comes out the same as I remember. It was a really deep brown as I remember but so far I only seem to find recipes that give a pale filling when I try them.

Does anyone else remember a school dessert that was not quite shortbread but not quite cake either? Usually served warm, we had ours with pink custard and chocolate custard and the cake came in vanilla or chocolate. I'm hoping it wasn't our dinner ladies personal recipe as I'd love to try it again some day.