With plenty of biscuits left over from the holiday baking safely enclosed in their tins, it was their crumbs which had to be called to an order. After all the holiday cakes and ice-cream, evening desserts had to be something light, easy on the sugar and simple to make. What would be an easier solution for all the crumbs than the good old “biscuit pudding”.
Interestingly biscuit pudding is something that has evolved over time. With the British cuisine evolving the pudding from dumplings, the former had to be either in the meals or dessert category. More steamed than bakes, they were the savoury ones like steak and kidney pudding, haggis, pease pudding and the dessert ones (steamed in a basin and for afters) like the Christmas pudding, sticky toffee pudding and so on. Though essentially centuries on, pudding is more of a dessert than savoury. Dessert puddings like bread and butter pudding, biscuit pudding or simply with fruit.
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish author. (1547-1616) ‘Don Quixote de la Mancha’
One of the very basic biscuit pudding recipes that resulted in the first stained smock of preschooler was the Chocolate biscuit pudding. Though claimed to be a Sri-Lankan dessert pudding introduced by the British during the colonial era; it may have been in the kitchens of the west long before then. To make it requires layers of a prepared chocolate pudding or icing mixture alternated in a serving dish with layers of biscuits (plain ones preferred) dipped in warm milk. Served cold (not baking or steaming) with chopped nuts as garnish, cutting through would see five to seven layers of biscuit and chocolate. An easy dish to keep bored children busy on cold days.
The old-fashioned biscuit pudding, usually handed over in the set of family recipes, the basic ingredients would be vanilla, eggs, milk and plenty of leftover biscuits. This moist pudding is usually had cold, garnished with ground cinnamon, raisins, candied fruit and with maple syrup. With fond memories, it puts the cracked biscuits and their crumbs to good use.
Sugar And Spice... Among Other Things 