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Hands up if you don’t like to try an easy chocolate self saucing pudding or a delicious malva pudding. I didn’t think so!
I adore weekends where I wake to the sound of rain falling and my first thought usually is which easy pudding recipe to try on a rainy day. When you wake to the same and are on the hunt for an easy dessert recipe, you have come to the right place.
In no particular order, here are 5 Easy Puddings for a Rainy Day.
1. Self saucing chocolate pudding
Hardly anyone I know will say no to a good chocolate dessert. In addition, it’s a classic that most people know and if you get it spot-on then the cake will be oozing with a dark and rich chocolate sauce. Serve with fresh cream, or better even, ice cream, and you’re bound to get a double thumbs up from all at the table. Comfort food at its best!
Above all, this easy chocolate self saucing recipe is from none other than Matt Preston. Popular as an award-winning food journalist, restaurant critic, and TV personality. He is best known for his role as judge and co-host on MasterChef Australia from the show’s inception until 2019. If this doesn’t give motivate you to try this recipe, then nothing will!
Self-saucing chocolate recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
- 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
- 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder, plus extra to dust
- 60g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- Vanilla ice cream, to serve
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease an 1.5L (6-cup) capacity ovenproof baking dish.
2. Sift the flour, 1/2 cup (110g) sugar, and 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa into a bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and egg. Gradually pour into the well, then fold to combine.
3. Spread mixture evenly into prepared dish. Combine remaining 1/2 cup (110g) sugar and 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa and sprinkle over the top of the pudding. Carefully pour 1 cup (250ml) boiling water over the top of the pudding.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is firm. Stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
5. Dust the warm pudding with extra cocoa and serve immediately with vanilla ice cream.
2. Malva Pudding
No rainy day pudding list will be complete if it didn’t feature the South African Malva Pudding. This easy malva pudding recipe is quick and easy to make and will impress even those that are skeptical of why it is loved so much.
3. Bread and Butter Pudding
Are you stuck with what to do with leftover bread, we have the answer. If you decide to slice it up or toss it in as chunks, this classic comfort dessert has all of the goods you desire. Drenched in custard, it’s baked until golden and buttery on top.
The question remains, which bread is the best for bread and butter pudding? Nagi from recipetineats suggests using pre-sliced bread is best because you can cut or tear it into chunks so you get a better custardy texture inside and WAY better crunch on the surface. Likewise, she also suggests using a soft plain or sweet bread.
Best bread to use for bread and butter pudding
- Plain white bread – sliced, unsliced, loaf, block, rolls, hot dog or hamburger buns
- Raisin bread or other similar flavoured bread that will suit a sweet dessert
- Buttery breads – like brioche and challah
- Stale plain cake – I personally am not the type to leave leftover cake lying around until it becomes stale, but if you happen to, then by all means use it. Just be a bit more gentle when tossing in egg mixture
Above all, what I love most about this recipe is that you don’t need any fancy ingredients or equipment, unlike some of the other recipes listed.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 heaped cups white bread, preferably slightly stale, cut into 2.5 cm / 1″ cubes
- 130 g sultanas or raisins (or more!)
EGG MIXTURE
- 3 eggs
- 375 ml milk
- 250 ml heavy / thickened cream
- 3 tbsp / 40g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 100 g white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
FINISHING / SERVING
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted – for top pre baking
- 20g / 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted – for brushing post baking (optional)
- Icing sugar / powdered sugar, for dusting
- Ice cream, cream, custard, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, etc
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types)
- Egg Mixture: Place eggs in a large bowl, whisk briefly. Add remaining Egg Mixture ingredients and whisk.
- Soak Bread: Add bread and sultanas, briefly mix, then set aside for 3 minutes to allow egg mixture to soak through the bread.
- Transfer to baking dish: Pour into a baking dish (10 cup / 2.5 litre / 2.5 quart). If you have lots of sultanas on the surface, poke them below the surface.
- Drizzle then bake: Drizzle over melted butter, then bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden on top and the inside is set but still slightly wobbly (poke to check).
- Brush with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp melted butter (optional), then dust with icing sugar.
- Serve – rest for a few minutes, then serve immediately, with toppings of choice! My favourites are ice cream, custard and cream.
4. Caramel Stack Pancakes
Despite my love for pancakes, I have never made a pancake stack as elaborate as the one depicted above. In their recipe, they call the humble pancake a crepe, and if you refer back to my original pannekoek recipe post you will recall that they both usually start as flour-based batters enriched with milk and eggs. This batter is then poured onto a skillet, griddle, or pan and cooked until firm enough to roll or flip. The main difference is that pancake batter has a raising agent in it, such as baking powder or baking soda, and on the other hand, crepe batter does not. This means that pancakes are thicker and fluffy while crêpes are thin and flat.
How are pancakes usually served
Traditionally, South African pancakes are generously sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and at times a dash of fresh lemon juice.
As much as I like it served like this, you can do as much or as little to them as you want. Below are a few alternative ideas:
- Cinnamon and Sugar
- Mint ice-cream
- Fruit compote
- Honey
- Stewed apples with granola
- Sliced bananas and caramel
- Fresh strawberries and cream
- Cherry and Cream-cheese filling
- Peppermint crisp dessert-like filling
- Brownies and Ice-cream. (we highly recommend you try out the chocolatey mix from Hunter Gatherer)
5. Cape Brandy Pudding
Tipsy Tart, or also commonly referred to as Brandy Tart, is another iconic South African pudding (dessert). Made by combining Medjool dates, pecans, and a delicious array of spices, it is a great alternative to Christmas pudding. The reason, unlike Christmas pudding which is prepared months in advance, this easy pudding recipe can be made in under an hour.
In fact, you don’t even need to wait for a special occasion before giving this a go. Serve this around the campfire, or by all means as the perfect dessert after a Sunday Roast.
I really liked how simple and easy this recipe from rainbow cooking is.
INGREDIENTS
PUDDING
- 125 gram dates, stoned and chopped
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) boiling water
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 cup (60 gram) butter
- 1/2 cup (100 gram / 125 ml) soft brown sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup (250 ml) flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ginger
- Pinch nutmeg
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup (50 gram) chopped walnuts or pecan nuts (chopped)
SYRUP
- 2/3 cup (150 ml) soft brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) butter
- 1/3 cup (90 ml) water
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) brandy
METHOD
- Pour the boiling water over the chopped dates in a saucepan or microwave dish.
- Heat to boiling point.
- Remove from heat and mix bicarbonate of soda into mixture. Mix well and leave to cool.
- Cream the butter and sugar, beat egg in to make a smooth mixture.
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg over the creamed mixture and fold in.
- Mix in the dates, nuts and orange zest.
- Ladle into a baking dish.
For the small pudding, use a 1,5 litre baking dish, such as a 23 cm pie plate.
For the large pudding, use a 3 litre dish with a base that measures approximately 280mm x 280mm. - Bake at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes (small pudding) or 40 minutes (large pudding), or until the puddings springs back when pressed at the centre.
- Prepare the syrup while the pudding is baking.
- Heat the butter, sugar and water and stir until the sugar disolves.
- Increase heat and boil for 1 minute and add the cinnamon quill.
- Remove the mixture from the stove and stir in the brandy, vanilla and salt.
- Leave to infuse while the pudding is baking.
- When the pudding is baked, remove the cinnamon quil from the syrup and pour over the pudding.
The question is which of the easy puddings will you try first? The easy chocolate self saucing pudding, or the easy malva pudding?
Here are a few other easy desserts to try:
- Melkkos
- Easy microwave Jam Pudding
- South African Telefoon Pudding
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