Recipe: Naartjie malva pudding

This is the ultimate malva pudding. Very moist and dense, it’s heart-wrenchingly delicious with a lovely, subtle naartjie tang. Best served with simple homemade pouring custard.

THE FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS

125g butter

1 egg

130g sugar

5ml (1 tsp) vinegar/lemon juice

90g apricot jam

5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda

80g cake flour

250ml (1 cup) milk

15ml (1 tbsp) naartjie/orange rind

small pinch salt

CITRUS CUSTARD

500ml (2 cups) milk

5ml (1 tsp) naartjie rind (optional)

5 egg yolks

30ml (2 tbsp) castor sugar

5ml (1 tsp) cake flour

drop vanilla extract

SYRUP

125ml (.5 cup) fresh cream

65g sugar

60g butter

65ml naartjie/orange juice

HOW TO DO IT

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Cream together the 125g butter, the egg and 130g sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, apricot jam and bicarbonate of soda and mix to combine. Add the 80g cake flour, 250ml (1 cup) milk, citrus rind and salt and mix to combine. Pour into a prepared 20cm-square baking tin and bake in the oven, 25 – 30 minutes.

2. For the custard, heat the 500ml (2 cups) milk in a pot to almost boiling point – make sure it doesn’t boil. Just as you take it off the heat, add the naartjie rind, if desired. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the castor sugar and 5ml (1 tsp) cake flour until pale and smooth. Pour the milk over the egg mixture, very slowly at first, whisking well to incorporate. Return the mixture to the milk pan and reheat it very gently, stirring all the time (a wooden spoon or spatula is best). As soon as the mixture begins to coat the back of the spoon, rather than just looking like hot milk, the custard is ready. It should be the consistency of cream, so not very thick.

4. For the syrup, heat all of the ingredients in a small pot over low heat, 10 minutes.

5. Remove the pudding from the oven and slowly pour over the syrup. Serve warm with the custard.

COOK’S TIP

You can sieve the mixture if you prefer not to have the rind in the custard, but I rather like the texture and added pop of flavour.

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