Pear and Apricot Pudding Recipe

Ingredients : Serves 4

600 ml/1 pt/2.5 cups milk
100 g/4 oz/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
15 g/0.5 oz/1 tbsp butter or margarine

Grated rind of 1 lemon
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar

2 eggs, separated
1 firm pear, peeled, cored and sliced

50 g/2 oz dried apricots, chopped
15 ml/1 tbsp soft brown sugar

Method :

Heat the milk in a saucepan, then remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, butter or margarine, lemon rind and caster sugar. Leave to stand for 20 minutes until most of the milk has been absorbed. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the mixture. Place the pear slices in the base of a greased shallow ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the apricots and brown sugar and pour the milk mixture on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes until well risen and golden brown.