Vegan Eve's Pudding (Traditional British Recipe)

The traditional accompaniment for Eve's pudding is hot custard and we have provided an easy recipe below.

Alternatively, a scoop of vegan ice-cream, or a drizzle of vegan cream, or a dollop of whipped vegan cream, or a spoonful of vanilla plant-based yogurt are all tasty accompaniments.

Growing up in Glasgow during the 80s and 90s cream was a luxury, and custard was often not available, so with hot puddings such as fruit crumbles or apple pies, my mum would pour a little milk over the pudding, and it was quite nice!

So, if you have no other additions to add to the Eve's pudding a wee drizzle of plant-based milk is a nice alternative and yes we have tried it with this pudding and it is good!

Yes, the following is our family custard recipe the one we have been using for many many years! This custard is the deal accompaniment for Eve's pudding as well as any of your favourite desserts and puddings.

Vegan Custard Recipe:

A tasty plant-based custard, perfect for accompanying your favorite vegan puddings, ready in under 20 minutes.

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons custard powder
* 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar (or your preferred sugar, syrup, or sweetener)
* 400-500 ml (around 2 cups) of plant-based milk (adjust quantity for desired custard consistency)

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the custard powder and sugar.
2. Add a few tablespoons of the plant-based milk to this mixture, stirring until it forms a smooth paste.
3. Place the saucepan on medium heat. Gradually pour in the remaining milk, continuously whisking with a wooden spoon or fork to ensure no lumps form.
4. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, making sure to stir constantly.
5. Once it starts simmering, reduce the heat to low.
6. Continue to cook and stir for another 1-2 minutes.If the custard becomes too thick, add a little more milk and mix.
7. If it's too thin, let it simmer a bit longer to achieve the desired thickness.
8. Remember to keep stirring to prevent burning or sticking.
9. Once done, you can serve immediately. If you're not serving right away and want to prevent a skin from forming, cover the custard's surface with a piece of parchment paper.
10. If a skin does form, simply whisk it back into the custard.
11. If your custard thickens too much upon standing, you can thin it by whisking in some additional milk.
12. Reheat gently if needed before serving.
13. Or place into small serving dishes such as ramekins and chill for a chilled custard pudding.

Apples in the recipe can be substituted with fruits like pears, nectarines, plums, or peaches. Even a mix of these fruits would be delicious. Simply follow the same steps as you would when using apples.

For a tropical twist, consider using fresh or canned pineapple chunks. If you opt for canned pineapple, make sure to drain the juice or syrup first before adding them to your baking dish. Plus, pineapples won't need any additional stewing. Or perhaps go with canned fruit cocktail [canned mixed fruit].

Any eating apple variety is fine for an apple pudding such as Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Northern Spy, Jonagold, or Fuji. Although apples simply labelled as dessert apples or sweet apples are also perfect for an Eve's pudding.

Yes, you can use Bramley apples (often referred to as cooking apples) for Eve's pudding, but with a few considerations. Bramley apples have a sharp, tart flavour and can break down into a softer texture when cooked, which is why they're favorite for many types of apple pudding and apple sauce.

If you would like to use Bramley apples for your pudding, keep in mind the following:

1. You will likely need to add more sugar as Bramley apples are quite tart and so generally need more sugar to balance out their flavour.
2. Bramley apples have a softer texture when cooked compared to other apple varieties so if you prefer a pudding with apple pieces that maintain their shape, Bramley might not be the best choice. However, if you're okay with a softer apple texture in the pudding, then they can be a nice tasty option.
3. Another option is to use a mixture of Bramley apples and an apple variety that retains its shape better when cooked, as doing so, you'll gain a mix of flavours and textures, with some apples breaking down and others keeping more firmer.

Yes, you can prepare the apples ahead of time or even stew them ahead of time, but there are some considerations to keep in mind. Once cut or peeled, apples begin to turn brown or oxidize but a few steps can be taken to prevent this.

Prepare the apples 1-2 in advance:

1. Use a lemon water bath - Toss the sliced or chopped apples in a mixture of cold water with a splash of lemon juice as the citric acid in the lemon helps prevent browning. Alternatively, you can use a pinch of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) powder dissolved in water.
2. After bathing and draining the apples from the liquid, place the apples in an airtight container or zip-lock bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing.
Store in the refrigerator and ideally, use them within 1-2 days for the best freshness and flavour.
3. If your recipe requires the apples to be precooked or stewed, you can do this ahead of time as well. Once cooked, let them cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should be used within 2-3 days.

Stew the apples ahead of time:

1. If you want to prepare apples well in advance, consider freezing them. Treated apple slices (as described above to prevent browning) can be spread out on a baking sheet and frozen individually. After the apples slices are frozen place them into a freezer bag or container as this way, they won't stick together and can be used directly from the freezer in recipes. However, do keep in mind that freezing can change the texture of apples, making them softer once thawed.

Although, the lemon zest does add tangy notes that compliment the sweet-cinnamon sponge, it can be omitted if preferred. Perhaps replace the lemon zest with orange zest? If you do go with orange zest the lemon juice for the stewed apples can also be replaced with fresh orange juice.

Yes, with a few changes this pudding can be prepared as gluten-free although do keep in mind that we have not tested this apple pudding as gluten-free yet, but we have tested similar sponges with success.

First, use a gluten-free self-raising flour blend in place of regular flour. Many gluten-free flour blends are formulated to be a direct 1:1 substitution for regular flour. Look for blends that contain a mix of rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, and possibly xanthan gum, which helps provide structure in the absence of gluten. We like to use the Doves Farm Freee From Gluten-Free Self-Raising Flour.

You will also need to make sure that your baking powder used is also gluten-free. While these ingredients are naturally gluten-free, they can sometimes be contaminated if processed in facilities that also handle gluten-containing products.

As gluten-free bakes tend to have less structure and ability to hold together which tends to result in a crumbly crumb its always a good idea to include some xanthan gum. Many gluten-free flour blends already include this, but if yours doesn't, you might want to add it separately. Add about ¼ to ½ teaspoon per cup of flour, and for our Eve's pudding a ¼ teaspoon will be enough.

Another point to note is that gluten-free flour tends to be more thirstier compared to wheat flour so you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of extra water to the batter if it looks very thick.

Lastly, remember to adjust baking times as needed as sometimes gluten-free bakes require a bit more or less time in the oven.