frankie fodder: gooey gooseberry puddings
Gooseberries: fun to say, even more fun to bake into a scrummy pudding.
Not many people love gooseberries because the bushes are thorny and the berries themselves have a tough, acidic skin. Still, after just a bit of cooking the skins become soft and the berries release their drool-worthy aroma. (And a little heads up, it’s thought that red gooseberries are tastier than the green ones.) This recipe is perfect for the use of sour fruit, and with the help of these simple steps it is pretty well foolproof.
INGREDIENTS:
250g gooseberries
1 vanilla bean
5-7 cardamom pods
4 eggs
100g ground almonds
100g sugar
100g butter
2tbsp Cognac
120g cream cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Take a saucepan and a mixing bowl. Carefully halve the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds and put them into the bowl, then toss the scraped bean into the saucepan.
2. Top and tail the gooseberries and add to the saucepan with the cardamom and a spoonful of sugar. Cook this over a low heat for about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the berries soften a little but are still holding their shape. Set aside and let cool.
3. Crack the eggs into the mixing bowl, add the sugar and ground almonds and whisk through. Next, melt the butter and pour it into the batter while you keep whisking.
4. Add the Cognac and whisk until your batter seems smooth. Lastly, add the cream cheese (but this time mix it gently through – don't over work it!).
5. Place a layer of gooseberries on the bottom of four ramekins or teacups and divide the batter among them. Scatter some more gooseberries on top and bake in a 180C oven for 30 minutes.
6. Take them out and dig in! These little cupcakes (literally) are best served straight from the oven.
See more of Elisa's scrummy cooking over on her blog.
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