I'm No Traditionalist, But British Puddings Are An Institution Worth Keeping

Banoffee pie, bread and butter pudding, crumbleGrowing up in the Republic of Ireland, I think I developed a healthy scepticism towards British culture. I would not mind, for instance, if jellied eels faded out of culinary existence. And don’t even get me started on the weird rules Parliament seems to uphold for no reason besides “tradition”.So when I read English Heritage’s claim – that British desserts, from steamed puddings to (gasp) crumble – might be on their way out, I trust you understand my horror was not couched in sentimentality. Dr Andrew Hann, the charity’s senior history curator, noted that fewer and fewer households make puddings multiple times a week compared to those in the ’70s (based on data collected by YouGov).“If this decline continues, we can expect the classic great British pud to all but vanish within the next 50 years,” he said. No! I cried. British puddings are completely, undeniably delicious – a triumph even the most unbiased sources (including the French) must concede. Would it be dramatic to say I think desserts might be the UK’s best cultural pillar?Blackberry and apple crumble mix, bread and butter pudding, rhubarb crumbleAs a mediocre and not-particularly-prolific home cook, I rarely pop the oven on. So, for me to spend hours steaming (and then re-steaming) a pudding suggests edible excellence beyond imitation ― and that’s happened with multiple British desserts. Soft, date-packed sticky toffee puddings with glossy butterscotch sauce are unbeatable: shop-bought kinds are often an insult, sickly and spongy rather than meltingly tender and buttery-rich. I’ve made my Christmas pudding at home for the past couple of years too, at first because I struggled to find a booze-free version for my partner but now becuase it’s unbeatably delicious. But you don’t need to do that, because the time-consuming, complicated British pud is the exception rather than the rule. Blackberry and apple pie: Christmas pudding ready for its first steam: carrot cakeWhat some would argue many other countries have grasped with their savoury dishes, the Brits understand with their puddings: cheap, effortless, chuck-together-and-go dishes can be extraordinarily delicious if done well. A crumble has no real laws and demands little effort, but is almost invariably delectable (not least because UK apples and blackberries are so good). Bread and butter pudding costs pennies, relies on leftovers, can be thrown together without a recipe, and tastes like a dream.For the love of Nigella, you can even make fudge in a microwave. So, I beseech you – do! We all know the supermarket shelf can rarely compare.Besides, with everything going on at the moment, I will personally unravel if it turns out crumbles are truly on their way out too.Related...I Tried Mary Berry's Secret To The Best Apple Crumble And I've Never Gotten More ComplimentsI Tried Mary Berry's 15-Minute Lemon Curd Recipe, And I've Made 6 Jars SinceI Tried Carrot Cake Recipes From Mary Berry, Gordon Ramsay And Nigella, But None Beat The Best

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