My Journey to Actually Quick and Easy Baked Puddings
Alright, let’s talk baked puddings. For the longest time, I figured they were just too much fuss. You know, the kind of thing you see in fancy magazines, looking all perfect, and you just know it took hours and about a million bowls. Most recipes I’d peek at just confirmed it – complicated steps, water baths, the lot. Honestly, who has the time for that on a regular Tuesday?
I remember this one evening, completely out of the blue, my sister said she was popping over with the kids. Dinner was manageable, I had some leftovers I could jazz up. But dessert? My mind was a total blank. I needed something, and I needed it fast. That’s when the real scramble began. I pulled out a couple of old cookbooks, pages all yellowed, then did a quick search online. Everything seemed to be ‘easy’ but then listed about twenty ingredients or steps that sounded like a science experiment.
I was getting seriously frustrated. It felt like “quick” and “baked pudding” just didn’t belong in the same sentence. Most of them wanted things chilled for hours, or they needed special cream I didn’t have. I almost gave up and was about to suggest we just have fruit, which, let’s be honest, isn’t quite the same treat.
Then, I just sort of stopped. And I thought, what’s a pudding, really? At its heart? It’s usually got to have:
- Some eggs, for richness and setting.
- Milk or cream, for that smooth texture.
- Sugar, because, well, it’s dessert!
- A bit of flavour – vanilla is my old faithful.
So, I decided to just wing it. Forget the fancy instructions. I grabbed a bowl, cracked in a couple of eggs, chucked in some sugar – didn’t even measure it properly, just eyeballed it – and whisked it up a bit. Poured in some milk, a good splash of vanilla extract. That was it. I greased a few ramekins, poured the mixture in, and stuck them in the oven. I didn’t even bother with a water bath, just put them straight onto a baking tray.
I kept a close eye on them, expecting disaster. The first time, yeah, they were a bit… rustic. Maybe a tad overcooked. But they were definitely pudding! And they were eaten. Every last bit. The kids loved them.
So, I started doing it more often. Each time, I’d tweak it a little. Learned that warming the milk a bit first seemed to make them smoother. Found out that a lower oven temperature for a bit longer was better than blasting them with heat. The biggest thing was learning not to overbake – a little jiggle in the center is perfect, as they keep cooking a bit once they’re out.
Now, it’s my go-to. Seriously. If I need a quick dessert, this is it. I don’t even look at a recipe anymore. Sometimes I’ll add a sprinkle of nutmeg, or a bit of lemon zest if I have it. But the base is always that super simple mix. It’s amazing how something so basic can turn out so good. And it proved to me that you don’t always need those complicated recipes to make something delicious. Sometimes, just going back to basics is the best way. It’s certainly saved me from a few dessert emergencies since that first time!