Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail’s Blackberry Brown Bread Pudding | The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Jump to
Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail’s Blackberry Brown Bread Pudding
Mrs. Rabbit has brought home brown bread, and Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail have been busy picking fresh blackberries. If there had been any leftovers, Mrs. Rabbit might have pulled together this simple dessert typical of 19th-century rural England on a following day. As The Tale of Peter Rabbit was penned in 1893, I’m drawing inspiration from recipes of the era, including a common bread and butter pudding and summer pudding.
Save Your Leftovers!
This recipe is a great way to use up leftover stale bread, using milk and eggs to turn ‘kitchen scraps’ into a delicious dessert!
What is Bread Pudding?
Bread pudding is traditionally made from stale bread soaked in milk, sweetened, and then baked. For centuries, it has been a practical way to repurpose stale bread, avoiding waste.
While bread pudding is thought to have originated with 11th-century English cooks, similar dishes using leftover bread can be found in various cuisines. From France’s “pain perdu” (French toast) to India’s “Shahi Tukra,” each version adapts to local tastes and available ingredients.
Several historical references note one overarching principle: what makes bread pudding distinctive is its simplicity. Whether ‘common’ or ‘rich’ in flavour, keep the additions to a minimum!
Seasonal Fruit
We often think of Peter Rabbit in relation to springtime. But in the UK, wild blackberries are most commonly picked in the late summer months. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail would have been busy picking those wild blackberries from August to September—a perfect time for this dessert! When you decide to make this dish yourself, consider using berries that are in season in your local area.
Historial Origins
In its earlier forms, bread pudding would have been very simple—bread soaked in milk or water and sweetened. As spices and sugar became increasingly available, so did the variations of the recipe. By the 19th century, Eliza Acton had recorded a number of bread pudding recipes in her cookbook. These recipes include ingredients such as suet or butter, currants, and eggs and cream to create a rich custard. Additional flavorings like brandy, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon rind, and candied peel transform this simple dish into a richer more decadent dessert. Bread pudding can be served in two ways- hot and spooned into bowls, or once cooled, sliced like cake.
Variations: Summer Pudding
Another variation of bread pudding from this era is the summer pudding, originally known as “hydropathic pudding,” and served at health resorts. Typically made with raspberries, but by autumn, substitutions with blackberries were common. A perfect alternative for warmer days, summer pudding involves layering bread with fruits, pressing the ingredients together, and then allowing it to soak overnight before serving with cream.
Historical Ingredients Explained: Lisbon Sugar
The sugar mentioned in Eliza Acton’s recipe is Lisbon sugar, also known at the time as clayed sugar, which is sugar from one stage of the sugar refining process. Demerara sugar is the most similar option as it is minimally processed, so it still contains traces of molasses. Raw sugar is the more common product found on grocery store shelves that many people will recognise, so has been used in this recipe.
Adapting an 1800s Bread Pudding Recipe
Since Mrs. Rabbit has the fireplace going and will make Peter some chamomile tea, we’re using Eliza Acton’s baked common ‘bread and butter pudding’ as a base recipe. The original recipe instructs us to place slices of buttered bread directly into the pan with currants scattered between the layers. I’ll be switching out the currants for blackberries and reducing the amount of milk from the original recipe to balance the amount of moisture the blackberries will provide the dish. I’ve also sliced the bread into 2-inch pieces. You’re more likely to get a good scoop of blackberries and bread in each mouthful – plus, it’s more visually appealing when serving!
Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail’s Blackberry Brown Bread Pudding | The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 4 large eggs
- zest from 1 medium lemon
- 8 slices stale wholemeal bread
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups blackberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) or 350°F (175°C) fan-forced.
- In a heatproof measuring jug, microwave milk for 2 minutes, 100% power to warm. With a fork, whisk in sugar to dissolve.
- Whisk eggs with a fork in a medium bowl, then pour in the milk mixture and beat until combined.
- Butter a 9 x 9 inch (24cm) baking dish. Butter both sides of bread, then slice roughly into 2-inch squares. Toss half the bread slices into the baking dish, then half the blackberries, and then repeat with remaining bread and blackberries. Top with lemon zest.
- Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Video
Notes
References
- Acton, Eliza. Modern Cookery, for Private Families. United Kingdom: Longman, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1868.
- Davidson, Alan., et al. The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press, 2014.
- International Sugar Journal. United Kingdom: International Sugar Journal, 1901.
- Mason, Laura, and Catherine (Catherine Grace) Brown. Traditional Foods of Britain : An Inventory. 1999.
- Mescher, Virginia. HOW SWEET IT IS!” A HISTORY OF SUGAR and SUGAR REFINING IN THE UNITED STATES INCLUDING A GLOSSARY OF SWEETENERS. 2005.
Seems simple and sounds delicious!