The last time I bought pearl barley, I noticed there was a recipe on the packet for this pudding. As I had not conceived of using pearl barley for anything other than soups and casseroles, I found this intriguing. I needed the right weather (cold and rainy - check) and a few spare apples (thank you mum and dad) to bring it on. So yesterday, it happened. Warning: this is the healthiest version of a dessert I think I've come across (short of fruit salad). It needs ice cream to make it less virtuous.
Recipe:
225g pearl barley
3 medium apples, peeled, cored and finely sliced
60g raw caster sugar (about 1/3 cup)
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon margarine spread (or butter or whatever - I use Dairy Soft)
Prepare pearl barley: I used the quick method, by putting the barley into a saucepan, covering with water, bringing to the boil and simmering for about 30 minutes. I kept topping up water as required - once tender, drain any excess liquid.
Preheat oven to 175C; lightly grease a 5 cup capacity ovenproof dish.
Add apples, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon to the barley. Pour into dish, dot with the butter, cover with foil (or a lid), and bake for an hour. Serve with cream or ice cream.
It's tasty and (without ice cream) practically guilt-free. It's not, however, a dessert I would serve to most blokes. Unless I drowned it in custard and cream and ice cream and maybe lied about some of the ingredients. So you never know!
Today's daily photo:
This morning, I indulged in the chocolate and marmalade porridge I tried a few weeks ago. Not all the chocolate made it into the saucepan - some landed on the stove, some had to be quality-tested, and some was left over for the top of my coffee.
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