A Peach Affair

I’ve always heard about the “wonderful pudding” that was served at my cousin , Preethi Chechi’s, engagement party. My mother  says that the exquisite taste of the peach in the light creamy cloud, a sweet memory, that has yet to be taken over by any other desserts that she has tasted till date. That’s a mighty good recommendation as Amma has an extreme case of “sweet-tooth -itis” and she’s definitely the better judge of desserts than me!

Mercy Antony Thoppil alias “Mercy Ellemma” , to my knowledge, could be on par with Julia Child. Her recipes were always ahead of her times and she managed most with the limited resources available at  Karanzira! Inspite of modern times, I am scared to make an extra dish of pudding while this was served nearly 25 years back in Alleppy to a whole engagement party.Hopefully, I can get hold of more of her recipes to post here!

Ingredients

Digestive Biscuits ———-120 gms

Butter—————————–60 gms

Cream Cheese—————–250gms

Sugar——————————90-150gms (Granulated or Caster)

Gelatin—————————-1 Tbsp (Dissolve in 1/2 cup water)

Canned Peaches—————1 can (250gms drained weight)

Peach Syrup———————1/2 cup

Egg Whites———————–2 nos

Vanilla Essence—————-1 tsp

Cream for whipping ——–1/4 cup

Sugar——————————-1-2 tbsp

Fruits As required

Method

• Prepare the base with crumbled biscuits and melted butter. Use the back of glass or a steel katori to spread it evenly on the dish.Refrigerate.

• Dissolve the gelatin in cold water and melt it over a hot water bowl. You could follow the instructions provided on the pack but restrict the water used to 1/2 cup. Do make sure it has no lumps and let it cool.

• Drain the peaches and chop it. Preserve the syrup.

• Blend cream cheese, sugar(100gms), cooled gelatine, vanilla essence and peach syrup in a blender/mixer till smooth. Add more sugar to your taste,if required.

• Whisk egg whites to soft peaks( you could turn the bowl upside to check ) and fold into the cream cheese mix.

• Pour on to the crust. Sprinkle the chopped fruits. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate till it sets.

• Decorate with whipped cream (whisk the cream & sugar) & fruits of your choice . I have been a little lazy this time and used the whipped cream out of a can that’s why it’s not looking so aesthetically appealing !

Please click on the link below to download the recipe.

Peach Pudding Recipe