All of the 19th-century recipes for this dessert are quite different, which makes it hard to define the ‘real’ Bakewell pudding. There is also a strong similarity with a sweetmeat 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 sweetmeat pudding. Some use bitter almonds, others do not.
This leads me to believe that the Bakewell pudding wasn’t a pudding invented at an inn in Bakewell at all, as the popular myth would have us believe. More likely it was an existing pudding that was renamed to attract customers, and because it became famous in the 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 sweetmeat pudding version, here it is. I use powdered raw (unrefined) sugar, as early recipes often ask for ‘loaf sugar, powdered,’ and it works better. If you have a heatproof plate that will go into your oven, use it instead of a pie dish, as I believe this was the original way this pudding was baked. Makes two puddings in 23cm shallow plates
- 25g bitter apricot kernels
- 1 tsp rosewater
- 110g clarified butter, melted
- 110g raw sugar, powdered in a food processor
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 egg white
- 1 packet puff pastry
- 2 tbsp raspberry jam
- 50g candied lemon peel, cut into strips
2. Using a mortar and pestle, pound up the blanched apricot kernels with the rosewater. This will prevent the apricot kernels from producing oil and will also 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.
3. 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 2cm border that will become the rim. Neatly arrange strips of candied lemon peel over the jam, then gently pour in the filling mixture.
4. 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 has puffed up and is golden brown.
5. Serve on its own or with fresh raspberries and a little whipped cream.
Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings, Savoury and Sweet by Regula Ysewijn is published by Murdoch Books, price £30
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