Blackberry Jam Roly Poly

A roly poly, also known as a Swiss roll, is a flat sponge cake that's been covered in some sort of filling (in this case, blackberry jelly) and rolled up into a spiral to be sliced. I almost didn't post this because...well...I done messed it up bad. But it still tasted really good, so I decided I would post it anyway and just post a warning about how to NOT make the same mistake I did. The number one thing to be successful when making roly polys (polies?) is to use the thinnest parchment paper you can find. It turns out that the cheap, off-brand parchment paper I bought is thicker than most. Why does that matter? If your parchment paper is too thick, it won't be flexible enough to lay flat in the corners of your sheet pan. This will keep your batter from spreading far enough, which will make your sponge too thick, which will lead to breaking when you try to roll it (thinner sponges will flex more before breaking apart). So if you're smarter than I am, this should work out fine. If not, you'll end up with an ugly but tasty dessert.

 Blackberry Jam Roly Poly

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cool time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: about 8 slices

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup milk
• Blackberry jelly or jam (about 1 cup, but just add as much as you want)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder
   
3. Whisk in melted butter (I forgot to take a picture here, but you'll end up with a clumpy-ish dry paste)
4. Whisk together vanilla, vinegar, and milk, then pour into dry ingredients and mix until smooth (batter will be thin)
   
5. Line a 9x13" baking sheet (one with a lip) with THIN parchment paper
6. Pour batter into sheet and spread evenly over the entire surface
   
7. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. 
   
8. Let the sponge cool completely (about 10-15 minutes) on a cooling rack before removing from the baking sheet to invert it over another piece of parchment paper
   
9. Peel away the used parchment paper
   
10. Cut away any hard or overbaked edges to make an even rectangle
    
11. Cover the surface of the sponge with jam or jelly
    
12. Slowly roll the sponge into a spiral and slice into rounds (don't worry if this step turns into a disaster; it will still taste good!)
    

Honey Pudding

I've mentioned before that the British use of the word "pudding" is a bit ambiguous. When I read about honey pudding in The Bellmaker, I imagined something along the lines of a French dessert known as blancmange. It's a creamy, jiggly dessert halfway between a custard and gelatin. This version is very simple and tastes like honey and vanilla. You'll need to work quickly once it starts to thicken, though, so I recommend having all the ingredients and utensils ready before you begin cooking.

Honey Pudding

Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 90 minutes if you use four small ramekins like I did. It will take longer if you use a single large mold.
Total time: 105 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Whisk together the cornstarch and milk. The easiest way of doing this is to pour a small amount of milk into the cornstarch and whisk smooth, then pour than back into the remaining milk.
   
2. Pour the milk mixture into a small saucepan and heat over high heat, whisking constantly, until the milk begins to boil.
   
3. Boil for about three minutes, or until the milk begins to thicken. I don't have pictures for this step or the next because you really need to work fast.
4. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the honey and vanilla.
5. Quickly pour the mixture into ramekins and tap them gently to level the tops as much as possible.
   
6. Let the mixture cool on the counter for a few minutes, then put them in the fridge and chill completely.
7. When they're ready, flip the ramekins upside down over a plate to release the puddings for serving.

Fruit Pudding

After making the skilly 'n' duff, I decided that I wanted to find a steamed pudding recipe that didn't take so long to make. This one is loosely adapted from the Japanese dessert known as mushi pan. Be careful when steaming; you don't want to boil the water too hard or it will splash into your ramekins and ruin everything.

Fruit Pudding

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 puddings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup blueberries

Directions

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a small bowl.
   
2. Place the milk and blueberries into a blender and puree until smooth.
   
3. Pour the liquid mixture (only about 1/2 cup worth -- if you have more don't use it all) into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
   
4. Divide the batter among four ramekins
   
5. Place a pot with an inch of water onto the stove and bring to a simmer
6. Add the ramekins to the water, wrap the pot's lid with a towel (to prevent dripping condensation) and cover
   
7. Steam the puddings for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. 

Skilly 'n' Duff

Skilly 'n' Duff is actually something sailors would truly make long ago. Traditionally, it was a steamed dumpling that would take four to five hours to cook. I don't have that much patience, so I made a simplified recipe. It still takes about an hour and a half to make, but that's more reasonable and it's worth it. I used blackberries and plums, which were mentioned in the book Marlfox, but feel free to use your favorite fruits. You also could replace the mashed berries with jam of any flavor.

Skilly 'n' Duff

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup blackberries
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 plums

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, and baking soda.
   
2. Mash the blackberries until smooth.
   
3. Pour the milk and water into the blackberries and mix well.
   
4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. (I realize that at this point the batter has turned an unfortunate grey color. I promise it improves).
   
5. Chop or finely dice the plums (based on your personal chunkyness preference) and mix into the batter.
   
6. Place eight four-ounce ramekins into a saucepan with a lid and add water to the saucepan until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. (I couldn't fit all eight, so I split them among two saucepans)
   
7. Pour the batter evenly into the eight ramekins and heat the saucepans on the stove over low heat. 
   
8. Once the water begins to simmer, cover the saucepans and allow the batter to steam for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out of the center mostly clean.
   
9. These can be served warm or cold. If serving cold, remove the ramekins from the hot water and allow them to come to room temperature before covering and refrigerating, otherwise condensation will cause them to become soggy.
10. If desired, top with meadowcream.  
    

Meadowcream Pudding

Meadowcream is one of few foods that was found in nearly every Redwall book, but there was almost no description of it. In most books it seemed to be similar to whipped cream. In The Bellmaker, however, it was described as "meadowcream pudding." While English and American definitions of the word "pudding" differ greatly, I thought this one seemed like it should be a thick custard, following the usual American definition. It can be eaten alone or with fresh berries mixed in.

Meadowcream Pudding

Cook time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 hours, 15 minutes

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 ½ cups milk (I recommend using a milk which has at least some fat)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract

Directions

1. Whisk together cornstarch and sugar in a small saucepan.
   
   
   
   
2. Pour in milk, stirring until dissolved.
3. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes or until thick and bubbling. It should thickly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
   
4. Pour into ramekins or mason jars and refrigerate four hours or until set.

Blackberry Pudding

I feel like I should start this post with an explanation of the word "pudding." Here in the US, "pudding" refers to a specific dessert that's like a thick custard, generally milk-based and thickened with cornstarch, eggs, or gelatin. In the UK, "pudding" can be used just to refer to desserts in general. It also can mean specifically a bread pudding, often steamed, such as your traditional Christmas-time plum pudding. For the most part, I believe Brian Jacques (who was English) was referring to these bread puddings when he used the word. I will follow this idea for the most part, except for a few recipes I think sound like they would be better as the American, custardy "pudding."

This blackberry pudding (really a mixed berry pudding here because I worried just blackberries would be a little boring. And a little expensive) was mentioned in the book Taggerung. I made a small one, suitable for about four people, but it would be easily scaled up to a bowl twice the size of what I used.

PLEASE NOTE: This is another recipe which needs to be started the day before you wish to serve it. Also, this recipe works best with bread which has been left out for a few hours to grow stale, as though you were making French toast, but fresh bread will work as well.

Blackberry Pudding

Prep time: 15 minutes
Rest time: 18 hours
Total time: 18 hours, 15 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings (One one-quart pudding)

Ingredients

• Sliced bread (I used about ten slices of a low-calorie, whole-wheat bread)
• 5 cups mixed berries (I used blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp water

Directions

1. Cut the crusts off several slices of bread and use them to line the bottom and sides of a sturdy, one-quart bowl. Overlap the slices so you have as close to a gapless layer as possible. 
   
   
   
2. Use a knife to cut off the bread at the lip of the bowl.
   
3. Place the berries, sugar, and water into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the berries become soft and begin to release their juices.
   
4. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the berries into the bread bowl.
5. Carefully pour the released juices over the berries.
   
6. Cover the berries with more slices of crustless bread, again trimming any that hangs over.
   
7. Place a plate or similar cover on top of the pudding and weigh it down with a can of beans or something similar.
   
8. Refrigerate for about 12-18 hours.
9. If necessary, use a butter knife to loosen the bread from the sides of the bowl, then invert the pudding onto a plate (or the cover of a tupperware if you're planning to transport it).
   
10. Slice and serve the pudding, with a garnish of whipped cream, if desired.

If you happen to have extra juice at the end of step four, I highly recommend dipping your discarded bread crusts into it and eating them on the spot. :)