How about a delicious mulberry pudding from the 18th century?

Inspired by a viewer’s email about mulberries being in season, Townsends takes on the challenge to bake a recipe from Hannah Glasse’s classic cookbook, The Art of Cookery.

We start with a simple pie crust. The dough is made with a flour-to-butter ratio of 1:3. The butter is rubbed into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Cold water is then added to bring everything together to form a ball.

The dough is shaped into a bowl and placed inside a boiled and floured cloth. This ensures the pudding releases easily after cooking.

Enough mulberries are added to the dough bowl to comfortably close it up. The amount of berries will depend on the size of your dough ball. The tied-up pudding is then boiled for 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the size.

After boiling, the pudding is dipped in cool water to solidify the outer shell. The top is cut open, and butter and sugar are added.

This delightful pudding is described as a “cobbler in a ball,” with the berries being perfectly cooked and the crust similar to a cobbler topping. The pudding is cut into slices for serving, with each portion containing a bit of the crust and some of the delicious berry filling.

Still reading?

Have you ever dreamt of creating those flaky, airy pastries that grace the shelves of French bakeries?

Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a complete beginner, Chef Bruno Albouze breaks down the process into manageable steps and offers valuable insights and techniques for mastering the art of puff pastry.

Grab your rolling pin and fold that dough!

Unlike commercially produced ice cream, gelato boasts a denser texture, a richer flavor, and a focus on using fresh, high-quality ingredients.

Milk, eggs, and sugar. That’s all you need for making true gelato. And yet, finding this simplicity in Italy may not be as easy as you may think.

Today is all about creating two delightful French desserts: crème renversée au caramel (caramel custard) and apple custard. Both are baked in a mold and coated in a beautiful brown caramel topping.

The key ingredient is, of course, caramel. Julia explains how to make caramel by heating sugar until it reaches a dark brown color. You can use a candy thermometer or the traditional method of constantly checking for the right consistency. Once the caramel is ready, you can line your molds with it.

For the crème renversée au caramel, you’ll need eggs, milk, and some rum. Or maybe you prefer vanilla extract.

To make the apple custard you’ll bake sliced apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, and butter. The apples are then folded into a custard mixture and poured into the caramel-lined mold.

Both custards are baked in the oven until set. Caramel custard is a delicate dessert with a silky smooth texture, while the apple custard has a slightly firmer consistency with chunks of tender apples.

Julia also makes candied nuts with the leftover caramel. These can be enjoyed on their own or crumbled over the custards for more texture and deep flavor.

Pâte à Choux translates to “cabbage paste” but don’t be fooled by the name, it doesn’t contain any cabbage at all. It is made with just a few simple ingredients: flour, milk, butter, eggs, and a pinch of salt. The dough itself is very versatile and can be used to make a variety of sweet and savory dishes.

Chef Jacques Pépin gives us a step-by-step demonstration on how to make the dough and then shows us how to use it by making a few different dishes.

Here are some of the many desserts you can make with pâte à choux:

Profiteroles: Cream puffs that are typically filled with ice cream and then drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Éclairs: Elongated pastries filled with pastry cream and then iced on top.
Shū Cream: Japanese cream puffs filled with a light and airy custard cream.
Gougères: Savory cheese puffs that are perfect for an appetizer or snack.
Paris-Brest: A ring-shaped pastry that is filled with praline cream.
Swan Puffs: Puff pastries shaped like swans.