Sydney Baker’s Diplomat Pudding

Diplomat pudding is a famous dessert served in many Hungarian confectioneries, such asGerbeaud and Gellért. Its name comes from the 19th century, when it was first served as part of a diplomatic conference’s menu (at a 1908 conference on the annexation of Bosnia). Because the guests enjoyed it so much, the chef published the recipe; however, this theory is contested. Some say the expression “diplomat” refers to Nesselrode, the famous Russian diplomat who was also known for his passion for English puddings.

This is a simple yet delicious French version of bread and butter pudding served chilled. It can be made as individual puddings or in a terrine and then sliced.




Serves: 6

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
Pudding:
4 slices of good-quality loaf bread, crusts removed
Icing sugar, for dusting
2 tbsp golden raisins
2 tbsp sultanas
60ml dark rum
Apricot jam, warmed, to glaze
Crème anglaise:
250ml milk
250ml single cream
150g caster sugar
4 free-range eggs
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
Butter, for greasing

Method
1. Cut all the bread into large dice, and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Dust with a little icing sugar and toast in a moderate oven, until crisp. Remove and set the oven to 140°C/Gas mark 2.
2. Place the raisins and sultanas in a pan and cover with cold water, bring to a boil then strain into a dish. Add the rum and leave to cool.
3. For the crème anglaise, mix the milk, cream, sugar and eggs together in a large bowl then pass through a sieve. Stir in the vanilla seeds and set aside.
4. Butter six individual-sized ramekin dishes and six pieces of foil large enough to cover each dish.
5. Stir the bread pieces into the raisin, sultana and rum mixture and divide between the ramekin dishes. Ladle the milk mixture over the bread and cover with the buttered foil and place into a bain-marie.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Leave on a wire rack to cool and then refrigerate.
7. To serve, turn out of the dishes and glaze with a little warmed apricot jam.