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Tamarillo sponge puddings with homemade custard

for 6 people
Tam West

Tam West

Ray McVinnie
By
Ray McVinnie

Chef and food writer

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These puddings are simply sugar-macerated slices of peeled tamarillo with a simple sponge mixture baked on top, like the sponge in my video but with almonds added. These are great warm as a pudding with the custard, or if there are any leftovers, when cold they turn into little cakes which are great sliced with a cup of coffee. I used to avoid tamarillos as I didn't like their sour, slightly metallic flavour. That was until I rediscovered that old fashioned Kiwi way of preparing them which takes time (you need to plan ahead as you do for all good food) but is worth it. Macerating them in sugar for 12 hours transforms tamarillos, giving them a rich complex earthy but sweet flavour.

Custard

5Egg yolks
300 mlMilk, full cream
100 mlCream
1 tspPure vanilla extract
3 TbspCaster sugar

Puddings

5 largeTamarillos, pointed ends nicked with a sharp knife (Main)
170 gCaster sugar
3 largeEggs
75 gSliced almonds, roasted until lightly browned in a 200C oven
100 gFlour, sifted

Directions

Custard

Makes about 500ml

  1. Put the egg yolks into a heatproof bowl and beat lightly.
  2. Put the milk, cream, vanilla and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
  3. Pour a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking continuously, then add the rest of the mixture, stirring continuously.
  4. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until the custard coats the back of a spoon ( it really only needs to do this, if you get the custard too hot it will curdle). Strain, cool and chill.

Puddings

Start this the day before.

  1. Put the tamarillos into a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them until submerged. Wait 2 minutes then drain and cool under cold running water. Drain then peel off the skins and slice the tamarillos about 1cm thick.
  2. Place in a bowl and add 70g of the sugar. Mix well, cover and reserve in the fridge for 12 hours.
  3. Strain the tamarillos and reserve the juice.
  4. Put a sixth of the tamarillo slices into the bottom of six cups or ramekins.
  5. Heat the oven to 200C.
  6. Beat the remaining 100g of sugar and the eggs for about 4 minutes or until very thick, pale in colour and tripled in bulk. Fold in the almonds and flour.
  7. Put a sixth of this mixture on top of the tamarillo slices.
  8. Place the ramekins or cups on an oven tray and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the sponge comes out clean.
  9. Remove from the oven and cool a little before running a small knife around the edge of each pudding and unmoulding them onto plates.
  10. Serve with the custard and the reserved tamarillo juices in a jug for pouring.

See more of Ray's spring recipes