Buxton Pudding

Have you heard of Buxton pudding?

This Derbyshire delight is really a tart with crisp buttery pastry, lined with a layer of raspberry jam and topped with an easy sponge mixture.

Perhaps it sounds familiar to another famous tart?

Either way, it's delicious hot or cold with proper custard and cream.

Enjoy.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you will love this recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 Instructions
• How to bake a pastry case blind
• ⏲️ Cooking Time
• 🥗 Serve with
• 🥙 Substitutions
• 📖 Variations
• 🍣 Storage
• 🍱 Prepare in Advance
• 📋 Recipe
• Desserts
• 💬 Comments

I visited the town of Bakewell, famous for it's Bakewell tart and its variation known as Bakewell pudding a few years ago.

It's a quaint town, popular with tourists, with little shops and bakeries selling their versions of the tart, which are much more rustic than anything you would find in a supermarket.

Buxton is another town, which is only 12 miles away. It's more famous for its water, which is sold all over the world, from the natural springs. Over the years, many people visited simply to 'take the waters', for the perceived healing qualities.

What I didn't know was that Buxton is has its own pudding!

Whereas a Bakewell tart is mostly known for a shortcrust base, spread with raspberry jam and topped with a rich almond frangipane sponge, the Buxton version is topped with a sponge made with breadcrumbs. It is thought to date from the 1700s, and perhaps it's just a more frugal version to use up stale bread, when almonds would have been more expensive.

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Budget friendly ingredients.
• Delicious warm with custard or cream or cold as a teatime treat.
• Makes 10 portions that will last for a week.
• Family friendly flavours.

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🥘 Ingredients

For the sweet shortcrust pastry.

• Flour - plain or all purpose flour.
• Butter - even though it's a sweet pastry I still like a touch of salt for balance, so I've used salted butter for ease. The butter should be fridge cold and cut into small cubes so it combines easily.
• Egg - yolk from a medium free range egg.
• Sugar - caster sugar, also known as superfine or baker's sugar.

💭 Top tips for separating egg whites

• I normally store my eggs at room temperature in the original box, but if you put your eggs in the fridge for an hour before you are ready to use them, then they will be easier to separate.
• Separate each egg, using the shell to help. Crack the egg on the side of the bowl and tip the yolk from one egg shell to the other, letting the white drain into a bowl.
• Put the yolk and whites in separate bowls. This makes it easier in case you come across a bad egg without wasting the rest.
• Store leftover egg whites in into a small container or ice cube tray, then transfer into another container when frozen. They will keep for up to 12 months.

• Breadcrumbs - fresh breadcrumbs. Traditionally, the pudding is made with stale breadcrumbs but fresh work the same and keep the sponge lighter. Cut the crusts off the bread, break into quarter and blend in a food processor.
• Egg - medium free range eggs.
• Sugar - caster sugar, also known as superfine or baker's sugar.
• Butter - salted or unsalted.
• Jam - raspberry jam, typically with seeds left in, but if you prefer seedless jam use that instead.

The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.

🍽 Equipment

• food processor - optional
• 23 cm / 9 inch loose bottomed flan tin
• mixing bowl
• baking parchment
• plastic wrap
• baking beans
• rolling Pin
• baking tray

🔪 Instructions

Shortcrust pastry by hand

I prefer to make shortcrust pastry in the food processor for speed, but if you don't have one you can use the rubbing in method.

Start by cutting the cold butter into small cubes. Put them in a large glass bowl with the flour and sugar.

Gently rub the butter with the flour with your finger tips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you prefer you can use a fork or a pastry cutter to get the same effect.

Add the egg yolk and mix until the pastry comes together into a ball. Add some cold water drop by drop if needed.

Knead it briefly until the dough is smooth.

Shortcrust pastry in the food processor

If you have a food processor simply tip the cubed butter, sugar and flour into the bowl.

Attach the lid and pulse the mixture three or four times until it gets to the breadcrumb stage.

Tip in the egg yolk and pulse to combine.

At this stage check the dough with your fingers to see if it sticks together when pressed. You might need to add a little water depending on the atmosphere and the dryness of the flour. Add any extra water a few drops at a time. Too much water can make the pastry tough.

Turn the processor on full and within a few seconds the mixture should come together into a ball.

Form it into a flat round shape with floured hands. This will make it easier to roll out later.

Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. This helps the butter to firm up again and make the pastry easier to handle with less shrinkage.

Roll out the pastry to line the tin, making sure that it fits into the bottom.

Leave the edges to hang over the side and prick the pastry base with a fork.

Bake the pastry case blind at 200 C / 400 F / 180 FAN / Gas 6 for 15 minutes or until the pastry has set.

Remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Allow to cool.

How to bake a pastry case blind

When you have a wet filling in a large pastry case it helps to bake the pastry blind first before adding the filling. This makes sure that you get a crisp pastry base. If you are making mini quiches or other small tarts there is no need to blind bake.

• Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F / 180 FAN / Gas 6 and place an oven tray that can hold the tart tin in the oven to heat. This means that heat will get to the pastry base straightaway and start cooking.
• Take a square of baking parchment 30cm/12inch square and fold into quarters, then fold again through the middle. Hold the fold to the middle of the tin and trim off the outside edge of the paper. You will be left with a circle that lines the  pastry to protect it from getting burnt.
• Scrunch the paper up into a ball to make it easier to shape the paper to cover the pastry.
• Add some ceramic baking beans to the paper. This will stop the pastry from rising up and the paper from moving. If you don't have ceramic beans then use any dried beans or rice and keep them separate for this purpose.

• Place the tin on the preheated oven tray and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully peel back the paper. If the pastry is set then remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.
• Remove the pastry from the oven and reduce the heat down to 160 C / 310 F / 140 FAN / Gas 2.5,   ready to cook the filling.

When the tart has cooled carefully cut away any excess pastry with a sharp knife.

Spread over the jam. I like a good layer of jam. but you can use more or less if you prefer.

Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.

You could also use a wooden spoon and mix by hand.

Add the eggs one by one and beat thoroughly after each addition.

Don't worry if the mixture is slightly curdled or separated.

Use a large metal spoon to fold in the breadcrumbs.

Cover the jam with the sponge mixture in an even layer.

The best way to do this is to dollop the sponge in spoonfuls all over the jam and then use an offset spatula to spread it evenly.

⏲️ Cooking Time

Cook in a preheated oven at 160 C / 310 F / 140 FAN / Gas 2.5  for 30 - 40 minutes until set and golden on top.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out.

Delicious served warm from the oven and much lighter and fluffier than a Bakewell too.

🥗 Serve with

• ice cream
• whipped, clotted or pouring cream
• proper custard
• crème fraîche

🥙 Substitutions

• Pastry - if you don't want to make your own pastry, buy ready rolled sweet pastry to use or buy a precooked tart case. Depending on the size, you may need less filling. Do this in the recipe card below by altering the servings size as suggested on the packet.
• Raspberry jam - use strawberry or cherry jam.

📖 Variations

• Fruity - add a layer of fresh raspberries or strawberries on the jam layer.
• Iced - drizzle with some glace icing and decorate with cherry halves.

🍣 Storage

• Airtight container - Buxton pudding will keep in a tin or other container for up to a week.

🍱 Prepare in Advance

• Make a day in advance if you prefer.

More tarts and puddings

• Eve's Pudding
• Apple and Fig Crumble
• Raspberry Frangipane Tart
• Butterscotch Tart
• Slow Cooker Chocolate Rice Pudding
• Microwave Syrup Pudding
• Macaroni Pudding
• Creamed Rice Pudding

📋 Recipe

🍲Food Safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using gas.

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