Hairy Bikers Eve’s Pudding Recipe

Hairy Bikers Eve’s pudding is the easy one-dish kind: sharp cooking apples with lemon and cinnamon under a soft vanilla sponge, plus homemade custard. From their Mums Still Know Best book, expect 6 servings at roughly 690 calories each with custard, by my count, in 65 minutes.

“Adam wouldn’t stand a chance if tempted by Eve with this apple delight,” the Hairy Bikers joke, and one spoonful tells you why. Because the apples go in raw, they soften slowly under the sponge and keep a bit of their tang.

The bit I take most care over is the sponge, adding the eggs and flour in halves so the butter and sugar don’t curdle. That way it bakes up light and springy rather than dense.

Hairy Bikers Eve’s Pudding Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 45 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 5 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:690 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Chopped cooking apples, golden caster sugar, cinnamon and lemon go straight into a buttered pie dish under a creamed vanilla sponge. While it bakes, egg yolks, cornflour, milk and double cream are whisked into a smooth custard on the hob.

Ingredients

For the apples

• 3 medium cooking apples (about 600g unpeeled), peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 65g golden caster sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• juice and finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

For the sponge topping

• 115g softened butter, plus extra for greasing
• 115g golden caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 125g self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp flaked almonds (optional)

For the vanilla custard

• 2 large free-range egg yolks
• 2 heaped tsp cornflour
• 25g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split, or ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 250ml whole milk
• 250ml double cream

Instructions

1. Prepare the apples: Heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 and butter a 1.2 litre pie dish. Then put the apples, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and zest straight into the dish and toss well.
2. Cream the sponge: Beat the butter with the 115g of sugar using an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Then whisk in half the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well as you go.
3. Finish the batter: Add the vanilla, then half the flour, and beat well. After that, whisk in the rest of the eggs and fold in the remaining flour until smooth.
4. Top and bake: Spread the batter over the apples to the sides of the dish, then sprinkle with the extra tablespoon of sugar and the almonds, if using. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.
5. Start the custard: About 15 minutes before the pudding is ready, put the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar in a medium saucepan. Then scrape in the vanilla seeds or add the extract, whisk everything together and gradually whisk in the milk and cream.
6. Thicken the custard: Cook it over a low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, whisking constantly, until smooth and thick. But don’t let it overheat, or the yolks can scramble.
7. Serve: Serve the pudding hot with the warm custard, or with cream, sprinkled with a little extra sugar if you like.

FAQs

Do you cook the apples first for Eve’s pudding?

No, and that’s what makes this one different. So the raw apples soften with sugar, cinnamon and lemon as the sponge bakes, while BBC Food’s own Eve’s pudding stews them first.

That BBC recipe isn’t theirs, and nor is any Mary Berry Eve’s pudding you might come across. So if it’s the easy Hairy Bikers version you’re after, this is it, straight from Mums Still Know Best.

Can I use eating apples instead of cooking apples?

The recipe calls for cooking apples, and I’d stick with them because they turn soft and sharp against the sweet sponge. If you only have eating apples, go for a tart variety and expect the pieces to stay firmer.

Or do what their apple crumble with almonds does and use both, four eating apples to two Bramleys. And it has flaked almonds through the topping too, much like the optional ones scattered here.

Can I use shop-bought custard?

Of course, and nobody will mind on a busy weeknight. But the homemade one takes about 10 minutes while the pudding bakes, and the jam roly poly in that book sends you back to it.

It’s a custard worth knowing, because it suits plenty of other puds. And their jam roly poly is made for a big jug of it, and so, to my mind, is their sticky toffee pudding.

How do I stop the custard going lumpy?

Whisk the yolks, cornflour and sugar together before any milk goes in, then pour in the milk and cream a little at a time. And keep the heat low, whisking for the whole 6 to 8 minutes, because it shouldn’t get anywhere near boiling.

You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon. And the cornflour helps here, since it steadies the yolks so the custard is less likely to split.

Can I make Eve’s pudding ahead or freeze it?

It’s at its best straight from the oven, so I’d only get things ready in advance. Toss the apples in the dish and weigh out the sponge ingredients a couple of hours ahead, then make the batter just before baking.

That’s because self-raising flour starts working as soon as it’s wet. And for leftovers, chill the pudding and custard within 2 hours, then reheat once until piping hot, or freeze the pudding for a month.