Pudding, for many, is one of those comfort foods. For me, it brings memories of a surprise treat at the end of a family dinner; later memories include banana pudding at a favorite local restaurant or bread pudding with rum sauce in New Orleans.
So I was immediately interested when we got an e-mail talking about a pudding cake that originated in South-Africa, Kari’s Malva Pudding (www.malvapudding.com). It is made from a Dutch recipe. The more intriguing part, however, was the celebrity of its fans, which include Oprah, Nelson Mandela and Henry Kissinger.
A few days later, the pudding cakes arrived. After thawing, it’s recommended that you heat it up a bit, so that’s what we did. The pudding is rich and dense, more like a cake than a pudding. Heating it in the microwave really brings out the caramel flavor and the little bit of sweetness from the recipe’s apricot jam.
To add to the delight, a chocolate flavor was recently added to the line. Again the pudding cake is dense, yet moist. The rich chocolate taste blends wonderfully with the caramel and is accented with the fresh apricot taste. Another flavorful choice.
I could see it topped with raspberries or as suggested, with ice cream. In the winter, the warm pudding would make the perfect ending to any meal or a dessert treat with friends.
For retailers, Malva Pudding comes in a round container and can be kept in the freezer. It would make a fine addition to your dessert section and then, of course, there is that story to tell.
Barbara
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