if you don't mind
It was the homemade cake that first caught my eye at Tierra Kitchen in Lyme Regis.
But that was just the beginning of a long slippery slope. Their puddings and cakes taste as good as they look.
How do you choose between passion fruit poached pear with Turkish delight ice cream and the outrageously tempting vegan and gluten free chocolate and raspberry delice?
Offering some of the best desserts in Dorset and southern England, Tierra Kitchen can be found in Lyme Regis in the cultural quarter.
After being told that it is the quintessentially traditional English dessert, I went in search of the Sussex Pond Pudding.
But no luck.
I scoured Google for any telltale signs of the deliciously rich sauce, which oozes out onto the plate when the pudding is cut open to serve. Nothing. Not one restaurant, I could find, that included it on their dessert menus.
Plenty of recipes though. All extolling the merits of this elusive sticky treat.
Whilst it is not the most attractive of puddings, the rich suet pastry encases a delicious filling of brown sugar and butter, with a whole lemon placed in the centre. As the pudding steams, the lemon softens flavouring the butter and brown sugar which when cut open, pools around the plate giving it, it’s name and the sticky goodness which keeps one coming back for more.
But it is not as traditional as it would first appear.
The addition of the lemon is a relatively new innovation. The original recipe was a suet crust flavoured with currants and sugar that’s rolled around a ball of sweetened butter.
[Update] I have finally found the restaurant I have been looking for. Despite the fact its and hour and a half away and damned expensive, I might just brave it out. Wonder if the Hinds Head in Bray will accept a casual diner who sticks religously to the dessert menu?
theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jan/25/the-perfect-sussex-pond-pudding-felicity-cloake
[Edit] Closed. Reverted to the original Albion Inn but think it has closed as well.
I never for one moment believed that I would find the perfect Malva pudding in a small village in Kent which lies between the North Downs and the Weald of Kent.
But if you are lucky enough, you could find it on the menu at The Curious Eatery in Boughton Monchelsea. After growing up in Botswana and training in Cape Town, two sisters Lesley & Nicole set up their eatery in the disused Albion Inn.
Rustic, informal and tasteful furnished creating a setting that complements an exciting, vibrant menu.
Homemade, home baked cakes, tarts and chocolatey treats. As well as ever difficult to find traditional bread and butter pudding.
Many years ago I had a favourite Indian restaurant on Corlett Drive in Johannesburg. They served an Indian rice pudding as a speciality on their dessert menu.
A rare treat I have searched high and low for ever since. I assume it was Kheer and infused with saffron. But I have yet to find anything that compares.
Although it is also the dessert menu that has me going back to Darbar in Emsworth. For both their rice pudding and a very sweet doughnut type dessert which I think is Gulab Jamun.
