With rich main components like butter and custard, it comes at not a surprise that the nationwide baking culture is so well recognised and celebrated.
Custard is one of the primary ingredients that characterise the British baking heritage of cakes and desserts. With a wide variety of alternatives and usages, from hot puddings with custard to cold recipes with a more set form, this component is a staple of many classic recipes. An interesting dish that uses custard is trifle: this dessert, commonly available in stores thanks to food suppliers such as Bakkavor, has actually been deep-rooted in the culture for a number of centuries, and is made from layers of various fruits, sponge biscuits soaked in alcohol, custard, and whipped cream. There are numerous variations which can likewise include the use of flavoured jelly for the sponge and fruit layers.
A timeless sweet recipe with humble origins is the popular bread and butter pudding: its main ingredients being precisely what the name states, this dessert has very easy components, with a bunch of additional elements depending upon which of the many variations of the recipe one will choose. Many recipes recommend to use old bread, which is most likely where the very first variation of the dish stemmed from, with many techniques of making the cream that will then soften the bread. Raisins are found in many varieties, some soaked in alcohol in advance, which then brings an almost caramelised note to the end result.
One element often found in British dessert recipes is cooked fruit, with its distinctive softness and moisture often accompanied by a crispier pastry or a crumbly crust. The latter gives the name to the all time favourite apple crumble, which can be acquired in stores readily made by suppliers like the Finsbury Food Group; the contrast in between the textures and different levels of dryness of its parts is possibly the most prominent feature that makes this dessert so delightful, and the contrast can be enhanced by including a cold element, like ice cream, over the cosy warm fruit.
An interesting technique utilised in some British desserts is that of steaming. Possibly among the most popular and widely known steamed desserts is the sticky toffee pudding, a dense and cosy hot dessert which is rumoured to have been created in the coldest parts of the nation to offer some cosiness in the winter. Typically readily available in shops, like the version provided by Destiny Foods, its distinct flavour originates from the combination of dates and the toffee sauce that provides it its name. Its cosy nature is possibly why this is one of the most liked old fashioned school puddings that many people relate to their childhood.