A flavorful note from our Founder, Amy Stokes
Aside from their passion for education in under-resourced communities, and their interest in the work we do at Infinite Family, one of the reasons we think that Dr. Darren Clarke likes to bring his Rutgers students to SA every year is his love (make that obsession) with a local dish: Malva Pudding. 🙂
I started making it 21 years ago, after we adopted our South African son, Calder, and it’s been a family favorite ever since. Sharing it with our Rutgers friends has been a joy and, if it was ever possible for all the members of our Infinite Family to share a meal together, it would most definitely be on the menu. Until that day comes, I’m including the recipe I use here in case you’d like to try it for yourself. (courtesy of Marcus Samuelsson in his book, The Soul of a New Cuisine).
I use the recipe below, courtesy of Marcus Samuelsson in his book, The Soul of a New Cuisine.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1¼ cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup apricot jelly [Berry jellies work very well also.]
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk
Whipped cream or custard (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Beat together 1 cup of the sugar, the egg, 1 tablespoon butter, and the jelly in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the flour mixture.
Butter an 8-inch cake pan; set aside. Mix together the milk, vinegar, and vanilla in a small bowl, then fold into the egg mixture until thoroughly mixed. Pour into the buttered baking dish, and cover with lightly oiled foil.
Bake the pudding for about 30 minutes, until set. The cake will look spongy, with little holes clotting the top.
While the pudding is baking, combine the evaporated milk, the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter, and the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
Pour the warm sauce slowly over the hot pudding and allow to stand for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Serve warm with whipped cream or custard.
4 Large or 9 Medium Servings