The Cookbook Store: Red Fife Apple Tart with Maple Sugar

The Cookbook Store > Recipes > Red Fife Apple Tart with Maple Sugar

Canadian Sweet Treats Panel Roundup and Recipes!

Steamed Carrot Pudding

1 cup of each of the following: grated raw carrot, grated raw potato, brown sugar, suet, raisins, currants
1 egg
2 ounces candied lemon peel
2 ounces candied citron peel
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, mix together the carrot, potato, sugar, suet, raisins, currants, egg, and peel. In another bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Spoon into a pudding steamer or a heat-proof bowl of an appropriate shape. Cover the top with a pleated sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil to allow for expansion of the pudding and steam for 3 hours.

How to steam:

Place the pudding basin on a trivet (or the ring of from a preserving jar lid, or three upside-down spoons) in a large saucepan so that the basin does not rest directly on the bottom of the saucepan. Add boiling water to about half way up the side of the pudding basin. To keep the steam from escaping too easily from the saucepan, wrap a tea towel around the saucepan lid and secure it at the top with safety pins. Keep the water at a low boil during the 3-hour cooking period; check the water level occasionally, adding more water if the level drops too low, so that the pan doesn’t go dry.

After 3 hours the pudding will be done. (There is no need to check it during cooking; 3 hours of cooking guarantees it will be done.) Keep the pudding, hot in its basin, until ready to flame.

Pudding Sauce

(I usually make four times this amount. It’s like gravy: you can never have enough.)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
pinch salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan, mix together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, until the floury taste is gone. Add the remaining ingredients. Serve hot, at the table, poured over individual servings of the pudding.

Flaming the pudding (optional)

Choose a silver serving plate with slightly raised edges that will contain the alcohol. Warm the serving plate by filling it with hot water from the kitchen tap. Tip out the water and invert the hot pudding onto the plate. (Decorate with holly, if you wish.)

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat a small amount of brandy or Cointreau (about 1/2 cup), to just before the boiling point (don’t allow it to boil and don’t leave it on the stove too long, or the alcohol will evaporate away, thereby losing its flaming properties). Pour the heated brandy or Cointreau onto the serving plate, around the sides of the pudding. Immediately, set it alight with a match and carry the flaming pudding to the table.

Alison was delighted to be on a panel on Sunday, December 3rd titled Canadian Sweet Treats: Food Experts Debate the Classics
Joined by Rose Murray, Elizabeth Baird, Dawn Woodward, Nettie Cronish and Elizabeth Driver the group had a lively and light hearted debate on the following treats:

Butter Tarts
Carrot Pudding
Cocoa Oat Bars with Barley Flakes
Fruit Cake, Lemon Squares
Red Fife Apple Tart with Maple Sugar.

Alison debated the merits of Lemon Squares and after a tasting by the audience of all the treats, a vote was taken and Alison's spirited defence of Lemon Squares took the day! Although it should be noted that due to a kitchen misshap the delicious Carrot Pudding could not be sampled. Probably a first where a Butter Tart recipe entered a contest and didn't win!

Enjoy these classic desserts this holiday season courtesy of some of Canada's finest cooks & authors.