Tree up? Check. Lights hung? Meh… Pudding in the oven? Yes! This pudding however, isn’t the usual kind we think of here in America, unless you were born in the 1700’s! The tang in this pudding also comes from the amazing cranberries of Cape Cod. Did you know there’s an old legend of how the cranberry came to be here in America? Folk lore is one of the things I enjoy about cooking. Whenever a food was important to the early settlers there seems to be an almost supernatural story behind it and how it helped to sustain the colonists. Cranberries are no different.
As legend has it, the Reverend Richard Bourne a Puritan Missionary was attempting to convert The Mashpee tribe to Christianity on Cape Cod. The Shaman of the tribe was tired of the attempts to convert his people and so he cast a spell upon the Reverend, causing the Reverend’s feet to become stuck in quicksand. Bourne decided to strike a deal with the Shaman. There was to be a test of prayer over magic. If Bourne won the Shaman had to stop foiling Bourne’s attempts at converting members of the tribe. If Bourne lost he would serve the Shaman. The contest carried on for fifteen days, each debating the virtues of their religion. The Shaman began to weaken but Bourne did not, as he was being helped out by God in the form of a White Dove, that would deliver him a single red berry to his lips whenever he would stop talking. On the final day of the contest a cranberry fell from the beak of the dove and the Shaman attempted to catch it, but because he was so weak from lack of food, he fell to the ground as did the berry. Instantly Bourne was freed from the ground and fetched a bowl of soup to feed to the Shaman. The mighty little berry that fell to the ground began the cranberry bushes that now cover Cape Cod.
I for one am so glad we have cranberries and this story is as good as any as to how they came about. This recipe is a great way to use any leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving, and while it’s called a pudding, I liken it more to a cobbler. It is so easy to make and smells amazing right now as it’s cooking! The recipe calls for a 9 inch pie plate but I only had a loaf pan so that’s what I’m using and we’ll see in just a second if it works. The timer just went off, how fortuitous! It looks perfect, even in a different baking dish. So, remember to adapt and do what you can from where you are with what you have! Time to make the pudding.
- Cranberry Walnut Pudding
- 1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, washed and patted dry
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- serve with vanilla ice cream
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Butter a 9 inch pie plate or a loaf pan
- Spread the cranberries in the buttered dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar and walnuts
- Beat the egg until it becomes thick (fluffy)
- Slowly stir in the granulated sugar beating until well blended
- Add the flour and the butter and stir until blended
- Pour the butter, egg, sugar and flour mixture evenly over the top of the cranberries.
- Place in the preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes
- Cut into squares or triangles depending on the dish you used and serve warm with ice cream
This simple Holiday dessert can be made in minutes with very little fuss. Tell your family the Folk Tale of the Cranberry as they wait for it to come out of the oven. I think I might add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the flour mixture just to give it a little punch. I was surprised that this dessert isn’t very sweet given the 3/4 cups of sugar but the cranberries really hold up their end of tartness. I hope to bring you a few more old recipes from the colonies in a couple days and give you some new ideas for treats this holiday season. If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comment box. If you give this a try let us know what you think. Thanks for stopping by, until next time, Boone Appétit!
