The Warm Taste of Pudding and Mulled Wine- The New Indian Express

I remember as a child how my grandmother would fuss about keeping me warm, making me gulp down concoctions like khus-khus milk with crushed almonds or cinnamon and raw turmeric milk infused with cardamom flavor. I would wonder and argue as to how these things could keep me warm and remind my grandmother that woolens were meant to ward off cold. Alas! those were the good old days, when ignorance was bliss as there were others to take care of us.

Well now the tables have turned and it is us who are forcing such concoctions and food down the throats of our young ones. Winters are lovely and one enjoys them as long as one is healthy and warm . Nature has given us remedy for almost everything and I feel, we must all acknowledge it for our own well being. Spices like clove, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, saffron, ajwain, nutmeg etc, dry fruits like almonds, cashew nut, raisins and walnuts besides other food like garlic, ginger etc give us warmth when we compliment it with our food intake, hence they are winter warmers.

I was in London in November last year where they have mulled wine to provide heat. Red wine heated with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg etc really is exotic and compliments the plum cake or pudding well. I guess many here must be wondering about hot wines as we normally relate alcohol with ice or cold aerated drinks, of course we all have had cognac with hot water and even occasionally with fair amount of honey added to ward off the cold. This week let’s work up our appetite for such winter warmers and don’t worry, I will not leave you hanging without the mulled wine recipe.

Although the show stopper is going to be my innovative mulled wine with a twist but my recipe of malwa pudding will provide tough competition to the wine.So here we go.

I was watching some travel show where the host was learning this famous South African dessert of Dutch origin. Wherever it may be from, this warm dessert has surely found a place in my heart.

Malva Pudding Recipe

By Monish Gujral Published: January 19, 2014

• Yield: 3-4 Servings
• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 30 mins
• Ready In: 45 mins

I remember as a child how my grandmother would fuss about keeping me warm, making me gulp down concoctions like khus-khus milk with …

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 egg
• 2 tsp soda bicarbonate
• 125 ml milk
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Vinegar
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 100 gm Butter For Sauce
• 100 gm Sugar For Sauce
• 200 ml Heavy Cream For Sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract For Sauce
• 2 tbsp brandy For Sauce
• 1/3 cup water For Sauce
• 4 tbsp orange juice For Sauce
• 1 ltr Dry red wine Mulled Wine
• 2 1inch Cinnamon Sticks Mulled Wine
• 1 Dessert spoon Cloves Mulled Wine
• 1 larege piece zest of orange Mulled Wine
• 1 nutmeg Mulled Wine
• to taste Sugar Mulled Wine

Instructions

1. Mix egg with sugar and blend in electric blender until thick and lemon in color.
   
2. Add apricot jam and beat. Mix together flour, soda bi-carbonate and salt into the egg mixture and blend well. Melt butter in pan, add vinegar. Now mix in egg mixture and blend. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.
   
3. Pour dough in a greased oven-proof dish. Bake for 35 minutes or till fork pierced in cake comes out clean. In a pan, bring water to boil, add cream and then other ingredients. Simmer till a little creamy.
   
4. Take the cake out of oven and pierce with fork all over. Pour the creamy sauce over cake and enjoy this warm winter pudding.
   
5. In a saucepan, pour wine and heat along with other ingredients. Heat for 20 minutes on a low to medium flame. Do not allow it to boil. Let is simmer so all the flavors of the spices are infused. Pour in glasses or mugs and enjoy the tasty notes. Bon appetit !
   

• Course: Dessert
• Skill Level: Moderate