Apricot Pudding is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic dessert made from apricot paste mixed with cream and breadcrumbs that's flavoured with pounded apricot kernels and baked in a pastry shell. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Apricot Pudding.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Apricot Pudding that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume, The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
Mix the grated crumbs of a stale penny loaf with a pint of hot cream, add a quarter of a pound of sugar, the yolks of four eggs, and a glass of white wine. Halve twelve ripe apricots, and pound them with six of the kernels, then mix the whole of the ingredients together, place them in a dish, cover with a light paste, and bake for half an hour.
This recipe calls for a 'penny loaf'. This was a common loaf size in Victorian times and typically weighed 5oz (150g). As a result this weight of breadcrumbs has been substituted in the redaction below.
Halve the apricots, crack 6 of the pits and remove the kernels. Pound these in a mortar then add the halved apricots and pound to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Add the cream to a pan and bring to the scalding point (where small bubbles form around the rim of the pan). Take off the heat then combine in a heat-proof bowl with the breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar to dissolve then add the wine before whisking in the egg yolks. Add the apricot paste and mix thoroughly.
Turn the mixture into a pie dish then roll out the pastry and use to cover the dish. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the pie is set and the pastry is golden. Serve warm with custard.
Bread, 1 penny loaf; sugar, 1/4lb.; eggs, 4 yolks; cream, 1 pint; white wine, 1 glassfull; apricots, 12; kernels, 6.