Puddings & Cakes

Appears in

Published 1999

About

There is no doubt that eating large quantities of puddings and cakes does neither your figure or your teeth much good, but there is also no doubt that making and eating them is a therapeutic activity and can make you feel happier. To me, Sunday, lunch without a pudding seems not to be the real thing at all and a sweet surprise at the end of a dinner party certainly makes the most appreciated finale. However, though there is so much scope in this area of cooking, it seems to leave many people at a loss. You do have to balance puddings well with the rest of the meal; a rich and substantial pudding after a heavy main course is clearly a mistake. But a sharp sorbet might be just the thing. Equally after a delicate fish dish, a buttery crusted tart or something chocolaty can be perfect. A cosy tea with a good cake is to me even more of an indulgence, and a real treat. The ingredients for cake-making are a great pleasure to work with and what happens to cakes once put in the oven always seems a miracle. And as for the eating; well, I can’t remember ever being able to restrict myself to eating only one slice of a freshly made cake.