Recipe: Rhubarb and Orange Pudding

Today I’m going to show you how to make this delectable delight. My lovely Aunty Helen grows fresh fruit and vegetables in her garden and when we last visited she gave us a handful of rhubarb. Instead of cooking up a classic crumble, I decided to have a rummage through the recipe books at home. I came across this recipe for a Rhubarb and Orange Pudding Pie in The Hairy Bikers’ Perfect Pies cook book. Although not really a pie, this pudding has a base made of bread soaked in a sweet vanilla custard, topped with pink poached rhubarb. Keep reading for a step-by-step recipe.

 

Let’s start with the ingredients.

• 3 large eggs
• 100g caster sugar, plus
• 1 tsp extra for sprinkling
• 200ml double cream
• 200ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g softened butter,
• plus extra for greasing
• 8 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 125g fine-cut orange marmalade

Rhubarb topping

• 1 tbsp water
• 50g caster sugar
• 375g young rhubarb (5-6 slender stalks) trimmed

You’ll also need a 1.2-litre pie dish, a measuring jug and scales.

Step 1 – Making the sweet vanilla custard

Crack the eggs into a large jug and add the 100g of sugar. Beat, using a whisk or fork until smooth.

Step 2 – Making the sweet vanilla custard

Add in the 200ml of double cream, 200ml of semi-skimmed milk and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir. Set aside and move onto step 3.

Step 3 – Bread base

Generously butter 8 slices of white bread on one side, then cut off the crusts. Cut each slice into 4 triangles.

Step 4 – Bread base

Spread each triangle with a little marmalade. Butter your pie dish and line the base with about 12 of the bread triangles, butter side up. You should have about 2-3 layers.

Step 5 – Bread base

Cut the remaining 4 triangles in half again and overlap them around the edge of the dish like the petals of a flower.

Step 6 – Adding the custard to the bread base

Pour the yummy vanilla custard you made earlier slowly over the bread. Try and pour some over the small triangles around the sides as well. I recommend resting a spoon behind each petal when you pour the custard to prevent the liquid from spilling over the edges. Leave the custard soaked bread base to set for 20 minutes.

Step 7 – Preheat before you cook

Whilst you wait for the bread to soak up the custard pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees celsius / Fan 170 degrees celsius / Gas mark 5. Bake the pudding for 25-30 minutes until puffed up and beginning to brown. Whilst the pud is in the oven, let’s make the rhubarb topping!

Step 8 – Rhubarb topping

Cut your rhubarb into 2 cm lengths, add them to a colander and wash under tap water.

Step 9 – Rhubarb topping

Add 1 tbsp of water and 50g of caster sugar to a non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Add the rhubarb and cook gently for about 6-8 minutes making sure you turn them over using a spatula to ensure both sides are cooked.

Step 10 – Rhubarb topping

Once the rhubarb looks like this, take it off the heat.

Step 11 – Putting the pudding together!

Take the part-cooked pudding out of the oven and spoon the rhubarb and any sugary juices into the centre. Sprinkle both the rhubarb and bread with the reserved teaspoon of sugar.

Step 12 – Putting the pudding together!

Put the pudding back in the oven 15 minutes before serving. Cook until the bread is crisp and golden and the rhubarb topping is hot (around 8-10 minutes should do it). Serve warm with some extra cream or vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!