I was skeptical about this dessert at first. I'd never eaten a date, but he'd given me some nice ones so I nibbled one and found that they're delicious. Then there was the issue of suet. I'm a vegetarian and I forgot to look for veggie suet, so I decided to use Crisco. Okay, let's be honest: when the two of the six ingredients are dates and suet, I can see how the recipe might fall out of fashion!
Once I got past the ingredients, I moved on to the issue of equipment. He'd never imagined I wouldn't have a pudding basin. Meanwhile, I had no idea what a pudding basin was. To be fair, he figured I'd at least have an appropriately sized heat-proof bowl. I had a small pyrex bowl which I suspected was too small. Normally I'd have hunted for a cheap "pudding basin" in a charity shop, but time constraints forced me to visit a fancy kitchen store. I came home with a nice stainless steel bowl of the right size and shape.
The ingredients came together really easily, and I think I sealed my basin up carefully.
To my aggravation, my new bowl was too tall to fit into my deepest pot. I figured I could make a makeshift lid out of foil or another pot.
To my aggravation, my new bowl was too tall to fit into my deepest pot. I figured I could make a makeshift lid out of foil or another pot.
But something went totally wrong because after two hours the pudding hadn't set up in the middle. So I replaced my rickety tin-foil lid with an inverted pot and I gave it an extra 30 minutes, then another 30.
No luck! I finally gave up and flipped the darn thing out onto my plate. Prepare yourself.
No luck! I finally gave up and flipped the darn thing out onto my plate. Prepare yourself.
I quickly set about remaking the recipe. I unwisely chose to make it in my small pyrex bowl because my first pudding looked pretty small, plus the pyrex bowl could fit in my pot with the lid on. Well it wasn't big enough and somehow water got in, too. This one was such a disaster I refused to photograph it. It went directly into the garbage.
The good news is that the pathetic looking pudding tastes good. It has the texture and taste of a sweet and lightly fruity cookie dough. I'd never serve it to a guest, but I'm polishing off the last crumbs as we speak! And even though I've failed mightily, I couldn't be any more determined to keep making puddings until I succeed.
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