Pride and Pudding | Bakewell Pudding by Regula Ysewjin

A few days ago I shared my review of Regula Ysewjin’s Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings published by Murdoch Books. Click through to read more about this absolutely beautiful and fascinating book that shares a slice of Britain’s culinary history through the stories of its puddings.

Today I’m happy to share a recipe from the book, a historic Bakewell Pudding. I’ve also provided Regula’s puff pastry recipe, which is used in the pudding.

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Regula Ysewjin’s Traditional Bakewell Pudding

Extracted with permission from Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings by Regula Ysewijn

All of the 1830s recipes for Bakewell pudding are quite different in character, which makes it hard to define the ‘real’ Bakewell pudding. There are also very strong similarities with a Sweet-meat Pudding from Eliza Smith’s book The Compleat Housewife (1737). Some Bakewell puddings have a layer of jam, others have a layer of candied peel and preserves as in the sweet-meat pudding. Some use bitter almonds, others do not. It leads me to believe that the Bakewell pudding wasn’t a pudding invented in an inn in Bakewell, as the popular myth likes people to believe; it was an existing pudding that was renamed thus to attract customers in the nineteenth century. And because it became famous in that locality, it disappeared in the rest of the country, making it a regional dish.

The version with just a layer of jam is the one that the Bakewell bakeries adopted as the true recipe. But if you would like to taste the earlier sweet-meat pudding version, here it is. I use powdered raw sugar, as early recipes often ask for loaf sugar, powdered, and it works better indeed. If you have a heatproof plate that will go into your oven, use that instead of a pie dish, as I believe this was the original vessel used to bake this pudding.

Regula Ysewjin’s Traditional Bakewell Pudding

Servings 2 puddings in 23cm shallow plates

Ingredients

  • 25 g bitter apricot kernels
  • 1 tsp rosewater
  • 110 g clarified butter , melted
  • 110 g raw sugar , powdered in a food processor
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tbsp raspberry jam
  • 50 g candied lemon peel , cut into strips
  • puff pastry (see below)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

  • Blanch and skin the apricot kernels by pouring boiling water over them to make the skins come off. Rinse under cold water and dry them using a clean tea towel (dish towel) to rub off the last of the skins.

  • Using a mortar and pestle, pound up the blanched apricot kernels with the rosewater. This will prevent the apricot kernels from producing oil and also will add a heavenly scent. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the clarified butter and the sugar, whisking until creamy. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Don’t be alarmed if the filling seems runny to you, it is normal.

  • Line a pie dish or plate with the puff pastry rolled out as thin as you can manage and spread the raspberry jam over it, leaving a 2 cm (¾ inch) border that will become the rim. Neatly arrange strips of candied lemon peel over the jam, then gently pour in the filling mixture.

  • Bake in the bottom of the oven for 15 minutes, then move to the middle of the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

  • Serve on its own or with fresh raspberries and maybe a little whipped cream.

Regula Ysewjin’s Puff Pastry

Extracted with permission from Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings by Regula Ysewijn

Makes enough for two 20 cm (8 inch) pies. It works better to make the whole recipe and freeze the remainder if you only need half the pastry.

Ingredients
225 g (8 oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon fine salt
240 g (83/4 oz) cold butter
130 ml (4¼ fl oz) ice-cold
Water

Method

  • Put the flour in a large bowl, or the bowl of a food processor, and put it in the fridge to get cold.
  • Meanwhile, cut the butter into small cubes and put it into the freezer with the water for a few minutes.
  • Put the flour into the food processor and toss in the butter. Before you start the processor, use a knife to stir the mixture so every cube of butter is covered in flour. Give two short pulses of about 1 second, then add half the water, pulse again for 3 short pulses, then add the rest of the water and pulse 6 times.
  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Don’t be alarmed if you think the dough is too crumbly; it’s supposed to be that way. Pat the dough into a sausage, then use a rolling pin to flatten it out to a rectangle. The dough should be quite rough and very marbled with butter. If it is barely holding together at the edges, this is normal.
  • Fold the right side of the rectangle to the middle and then do the same with the left side of the pastry. Flatten the dough slightly with the rolling pin, then fold up the bottom third of the dough,
  • followed by the top third, to make a small square of dough.
  • Again, flatten the dough slightly, wrap in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Roll out when needed and proceed as instructed in the recipe.

If you decide to buy this book after reading our content, please consider clicking through our affiliate link, located within the post and in the footnote at the end.

Kavey Eats received a review copy of this title from publisher Murdoch Books. Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings by Regula Ysewijn is currently available from Amazon for £16.59 (RRP £20).

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10 Comments to "Pride and Pudding | Bakewell Pudding by Regula Ysewjin"

  1. kaveyeats

    Indeed, but this one is a bit different as it’s a historical recipe, and instead of jam the filling includes sweet-meat.

    Reply
  2. Choclette

    Gosh, this sounds good and it’s really quite different to the Bakewell tart we all know so well. Crossing fingers I’m a winner 😉

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Yes, it’s definitely not what we recognise now as a bakewell pudd! It’s a marvellous book!

    Reply
  3. kaveyeats

    You and Sally both! Yes, so interesting to access the historical versions that Regula has researched and recreated.

    Reply
  4. Camilla

    This book sounds truly fascinating, my 2 best subjects at school were History and Home Economics so I really need to enter your competition as I would love to own this! Bet this Bakewell Tart is just fabulous:-)

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    I think you’d love it then, Camilla – culinary history is what this book is all about!

    Reply

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