Thank you so much for this piece! I will never make it but it was so much fun to read about it (that is, I *will* more than happily eat it if someone else makes it). I was feeling quite depressed (omg, these days the news is awful!) so I turned to something else. You made me laugh out loud! For me, the best part was:
“As a pastry person, I don’t think of myself as ever being squeamish about large quantities of butter and sugar—that’s basically what I’m made of. However, there was something about just cramming a pastry case full of diced butter and sugar that made me just a little skittish. This is a recipe where the gloves come off. There are no niceties. It’s fat and it’s sugar and that’s the joy of it. But I had to learn the hard way.”
I’m English so I love a steamed pudding but I spent many formative years in Vancouver where there is/was an amazing French patisserie called *The Bon Ton*. It was started in 1927 (don’t forget that Vancouver was only established in 1888!) and I knew the ‘daughter-in-law’, who must have been in her 50s when I was a child. She lived to 109 and, when she was 105, was interviewed and asked about her longevity (she was still going into the business and making sure that everything done correctly). She replied that her secret was a life filled with butter and sugar. So, Camilla, you go, girl!
Thank you so much for all your hard work and your humour! I look forward to reading more of your adventures!
I’d like to add, Camilla, that I love how ridiculously stuffed your kitchen is! I thought mine was a nightmare in which to cook — your’s, well, takes the cake! Fabulous.
Though we do eat a number of dishes made with suet in this British household, not being a big fan of sweet lemon I have never tried SPP. Having read your highly informative and entertaining article it looks as if we should remedy that soon.
BTW here in the U.K. it is extremely easy to buy both vegetarian and non vegetarian suet which are marketed under the brand name Atora. There is usually a packet in my store cupboard.
Dear Camilla (and Nicola, too, of course!)
Thank you so much for this piece! I will never make it but it was so much fun to read about it (that is, I *will* more than happily eat it if someone else makes it). I was feeling quite depressed (omg, these days the news is awful!) so I turned to something else. You made me laugh out loud! For me, the best part was:
“As a pastry person, I don’t think of myself as ever being squeamish about large quantities of butter and sugar—that’s basically what I’m made of. However, there was something about just cramming a pastry case full of diced butter and sugar that made me just a little skittish. This is a recipe where the gloves come off. There are no niceties. It’s fat and it’s sugar and that’s the joy of it. But I had to learn the hard way.”
I’m English so I love a steamed pudding but I spent many formative years in Vancouver where there is/was an amazing French patisserie called *The Bon Ton*. It was started in 1927 (don’t forget that Vancouver was only established in 1888!) and I knew the ‘daughter-in-law’, who must have been in her 50s when I was a child. She lived to 109 and, when she was 105, was interviewed and asked about her longevity (she was still going into the business and making sure that everything done correctly). She replied that her secret was a life filled with butter and sugar. So, Camilla, you go, girl!
Thank you so much for all your hard work and your humour! I look forward to reading more of your adventures!
Ah you’ve made my day!!! So glad you enjoyed the read
I’d like to add, Camilla, that I love how ridiculously stuffed your kitchen is! I thought mine was a nightmare in which to cook — your’s, well, takes the cake! Fabulous.
Tour de force!
My dear friend!
This was excellent. I read the post and had to make it. Thank you, Camilla…I am such a fan!
I’m so awfully glad!!!!
I’m awfully glad too!
Though we do eat a number of dishes made with suet in this British household, not being a big fan of sweet lemon I have never tried SPP. Having read your highly informative and entertaining article it looks as if we should remedy that soon.
BTW here in the U.K. it is extremely easy to buy both vegetarian and non vegetarian suet which are marketed under the brand name Atora. There is usually a packet in my store cupboard.
Yes Nicola brought me some when she visited!
I can't believe Nicola asked you to do this without the caveat that you had to serve your pudding with custard!
The chopped fruit looks much more to my taste than the original whole lemon version.
Ha! I mean. I’m happy to put custard on just about anything but I think I actually prefer SPP with pouring cream!