Baked Fruit Pudding

Ingredients

·         500 ml. (2 cups ) self-rising flour

·         2 ml. (½ tsp.) salt

·         10 ml. (2 tsp.)bicarbonate of  soda

·         125 ml (½ cup) sugar

·         2 eggs, beaten

·         410 g (1 tin) fruit cocktail

Sauce

·         125 ml. (½ Cup ) sugar

·         125 ml. (½ cup ) water

·         125 ml. (½ Cup ) coconut

·         38 ml (3 tbsp.) margarine or butter

·         1 small tin (170g ) evaporated milk

Method

1. Lightly grease an oven – proof dish, 22 x 22 cm, with margarine. Preheat oven to 180⁰C.

2. Mix the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and sugar in a mixing bowl.

3. Add fruit cocktail (with juice) to the beaten eggs and mix with a wooden spoon.

4. Mix lightly into flour mixture. Put mixture into the ovenproof dish and bake for 35 minutes.

5. Put sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for about 3 minutes.

6. Pour sauce over the baked pudding and serve.

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Potato Dessert

This is an extraordinary, traditional dish and dates back to the 19th century pioneer period in South Africa.

Recipe 

Take 1¼ pounds (600 g) mealy potatoes, quite smoothly mashed while hot. Mix in 3 tablespoons butter, 6 tablespoons sugar, 5 beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and the grated rind of a lemon.

Stir well and pour the mixture into a greased oven-dish and bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes. 

Turn out and serve with sifted sugar or jam.

Author’s note: In the 19th century South Africa they used ‘veld-ovens’. Follow this link for more about the veld-ovens of yesteryear. 

Danie de Villiers - Freelance writer and food expert