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My friend Margaret grew up in England, and she says the best pudding in her country was invented to use up stale bread, and then they named it after a queen anyway. Queen of puddings was a Victorian nursery pudding, and the story goes that it was named for Queen Victoria. It was the kind of dessert every British grandmother made from what was left in the kitchen: the end of a loaf, the milk, some eggs and the jam jar. Nothing was wasted, not even the egg whites, which became the meringue on top.
There are three layers and each one is simple. Fresh breadcrumbs are soaked in warm milk with butter, sugar and lemon zest, the egg yolks are beaten in, and the dish bakes gently in a pan of water until the custard sets. Warm raspberry jam is spread over the top. Then the whites are whipped with sugar and piled on like a crown and browned in the oven. Margaret’s one rule is that the custard must be set before the jam goes on, or the jam sinks into it and you lose the bright red stripe. Below is exactly how to tell.
Why this queen of puddings works
- Fresh breadcrumbs from day-old bread. Bread a day or two old makes fine, even crumbs that swell in the milk and set into a soft, spoonable custard.
- A water bath. Baking the custard in a pan of hot water keeps it silky instead of rubbery or weeping.
- Warm jam. Warmed in a small pan, the jam spreads in a thin even layer without tearing the custard.
- Meringue onto the warm pudding. Spread over warm jam and sealed to the edge of the dish, the meringue bakes from below as well as above and does not slide.
Ingredients
Serves 6 from a 1 1/2 quart (1.5 liter) baking dish. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the custard base
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk (600ml)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25g)
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs from day-old bread (85g)
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the jam layer
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam (100g)
For the meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup superfine or granulated sugar (100g)
Use plain white sandwich bread or a white loaf with the crusts cut off, pulsed into crumbs in a food processor or rubbed through a coarse grater. Seeded or whole wheat bread gives a heavy, grey custard.
How to make queen of puddings
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Butter a 1 1/2 quart (1.5 liter) baking dish. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
- Warm the milk, butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan until the butter melts and the milk is hot but not boiling.
- Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl, pour the hot milk over them and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
- Beat the egg yolks and vanilla, then stir them into the soaked crumbs. Pour into the baking dish.
- Set the dish in a roasting pan, pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the dish, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the custard is set. It is set when the center feels firm under a light fingertip and no longer wobbles like liquid when you nudge the dish.
- Take the dish out of the water. Warm the jam in a small pan until it runs, then spread it gently over the custard.
- Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking until thick and glossy. Pile it over the jam and spread it right to the edges of the dish, then lift it into peaks with the back of a spoon.
- Return to the oven, without the water bath, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown on the peaks. Rest 15 minutes before serving.
Tips that make the difference
- If the custard still looks liquid in the middle, give it 5 more minutes. Jam on an unset custard sinks straight into it.
- Make sure the bowl for the egg whites is perfectly clean and dry, with no trace of yolk, or they will not whip.
- Seal the meringue to the rim of the dish all the way round so it does not shrink back.
- Serve it warm, not hot. A short rest lets the custard firm up so the layers stay distinct on the spoon.
Variations
- Other jams. Blackcurrant, strawberry or apricot all work. Margaret says raspberry is right because it is sharp enough to cut the custard.
- Lemon curd. Use lemon curd in place of the jam for a version close to a lemon meringue pie.
- Individual puddings. Bake in six buttered ramekins in the water bath for 15 to 18 minutes, then jam and meringue as above, 10 minutes more.
- Orange. Swap the lemon zest for orange zest and use marmalade for the middle layer.
Storage and make-ahead
Queen of puddings is best the day it is made, warm from the oven.
Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The meringue softens, but the pudding is still very good cold, the way Margaret’s brothers ate it the next morning.
It does not freeze well: the meringue weeps when it thaws.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know the custard has set before the jam goes on?
Nudge the dish. The center should hold still, not ripple, and feel firm under a light touch. If it ripples, bake 5 minutes more.
Why is it called queen of puddings?
The story goes that it was named for Queen Victoria. It was a Victorian nursery pudding, and the meringue on top looks a little like a crown.
Why did my meringue weep?
It was spread on a cold pudding or not sealed to the edges. Spread it over warm jam right to the rim of the dish and bake it straight away.
Can I use dried breadcrumbs?
No. Dried crumbs from a can do not soak up the milk the same way and give a gritty custard. Use fresh crumbs from day-old bread.
Stale bread, a jar of jam and a few eggs. Margaret says that is all a queen ever needed.
Queen of Puddings (Breadcrumb Custard, Raspberry Jam and Meringue)
The classic British queen of puddings: a soft breadcrumb and lemon custard baked until set, a layer of warm raspberry jam, and a crown of meringue browned in the oven. US cups with grams, and how to tell the custard has set.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs from day-old bread
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup superfine or granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Butter a 1 1/2 quart (1.5 liter) baking dish. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
- Warm the milk, butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan until the butter melts and the milk is hot but not boiling.
- Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl, pour the hot milk over them and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
- Beat the egg yolks and vanilla, then stir them into the soaked crumbs. Pour into the baking dish.
- Set the dish in a roasting pan, pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the dish, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the custard is set. It is set when the center feels firm under a light fingertip and no longer wobbles like liquid when you nudge the dish.
- Take the dish out of the water. Warm the jam in a small pan until it runs, then spread it gently over the custard.
- Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking until thick and glossy. Pile it over the jam and spread it right to the edges of the dish, then lift it into peaks with the back of a spoon.
- Return to the oven, without the water bath, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown on the peaks. Rest 15 minutes before serving.
