The Queen of Puddings!

I had my first Christmas party of the season yesterday. Well, it’s not actually the very first, but it was the first with cooking involved, so I’m calling it the official start to the season!

Cooking and kids have got to be the ultimate sure fire ways to get into the Christmas spirit. Cooking will get the spirit of Christmas wafting through the air, but a Christmas without kids can hardly be called proper Christmas. Without them, our decorations seem childish, our Santa hats a bit pathetic, cracker jokes are just bad (instead of so-bad-they’re-funny).

After a day of frying, blending, roasting and whisking, we all headed out onto the street to play handball. The street was cleaved apart with chalk into four quadrants of King, Queen, Jack and Dunce. Rules from different primary schools were presented, the best rules decided upon and the unscrupulous play began. Our rowdy efforts caught the attention of some kids down the road. As first shy, then enthusiastic, they joined in our very competitive game, jostling for position in the top square: the King. Viciously low bouncing balls, loping great volleys, ‘ghosting’ – it was a battle hard fought, stopping only for passing cars. It seemed to me that perhaps King wasn’t the best position to have. Too many determined opponents set on your downfall, and greedy reserves waiting to pounce on you when you’ve been demoted to dunce. You’ve all to lose and nothing to gain. No, for me, the place to be is Queen. Still regal, but understated. Quietly assured of your position, and everything to gain. Ready to ascend to the throne at the first error from the King.

Or maybe I’m over thinking a silly kid’s game. Either way, with kids and royalty and Christmas swirling in my thoughts, I thought it only appropriate to present the Queen of Puddings; a warm, creamy, jammy celebration worthy of this time of year. It may not be the king, but isn’t the Queen a little bit better after all?

The Queen of Puddings!

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 550 ml milk
• 120g breadcrumbs
• 230g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 4 tbsp strawberry jam

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Separate 3 of the eggs and set the whites aside.
2. Pour one whole egg and the yolks of the 3 eggs in a bowl and beat together. Now add the breadcrumbs, the scraped out inside of the vanilla pod and the milk. Finally add 100g of caster sugar.
3. In an oven-proof dish, add the jam to the bottom and spread out thoroughly. Pour the egg mixture on top of the jam and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
4. Take your remaining egg whites and beat until white and stiff. Now add the rest of your sugar and mix in carefully.
5. Take the dish out of the oven and add the egg whites to the top and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Serve while hot!