HOT MARMALADE PUDDING CLUB

The Hot Marmalade Pudding club was launched on the 1st April 2006, the 21st anniversary of Eddie and Shirley opening The Three Chimneys for the first time as the restaurant’s new owners.

Shirley’s famous Hot Marmalade Pudding, invented for her very first Three Chimneys menu, has never been off the menu since. This is now the 23rd year of the pudding’s success story! And it remains as popular as ever before.

Membership of The Hot Marmalade Pudding Club was extended to those people who have a long and special association with the history of The Three Chimneys and some of them were able to join Eddie and Shirley in their party celebrations over the anniversary weekend in 2006. Since then, membership has been further extended to guests who have stayed at The House Over-By on more than 3 occasions. They are then given the opportunity to return for a further visit, perhaps with a special incentive attached. In the future, The Three Chimneys is hoping to run competitions and other events for Hot Marmalade Pudding Club members. This is ongoing!

A "special edition" tea-towel printed with the recipe for the Hot Marmalade Pudding, was produced to commemorate the 21st anniversary celebrations. This is available for sale at the restaurant and is given as a mark of membership to all new members of the Hot Marmalade Pudding Club.

Nick Nairn chose the Hot Marmalade Pudding for his menu for BBC TV’s Great British Christmas Menu in 2006. Being a huge fan of the dish, Nick came to The Three Chimneys to be filmed being shown how to make it. He took away a large jar of marmalade with him to use during the competition. The distinguished judges – Prue Leith, Oliver Peyton and Matthew Fort – loved the pudding, in fact Oliver Peyton commented that: "it had to be the best dish in the whole competition!" Nick Nairn is also publishing the recipe in his new book produced for his fantastic Cook School at Lake of Menteith in the Trossachs. Below is the recipe for the famous Hot Marmalade Pudding and Drambuie Custard. The recipe is also published in Shirley’s book, The Three Chimneys, as is her recipe for traditional Scottish marmalade and many more.

THE THREE CHIMNEYS FAMOUS HOT MARMALADE PUDDING

This traditional steamed pudding has become a signature dish of the Three Chimneys Restaurant in the Isle of Skye. It is so popular that it never has been off the menu, since Eddie and Shirley Spear took over the restaurant almost twenty-three years ago! Local legend has it that customers return year after year from all over the world for Hot Marmalade Pudding.

Shirley believes the secret lies in the flavour of the homemade marmalade that she always uses. This is made by many Scottish housewives during the month of January when the bitter-sharp Seville oranges are available from Spain. Every winter, the kitchen team makes pounds and pounds of marmalade, just to keep up with supplies of pudding during the summer months! It is not, as some people imagine, a stodgy suet pudding with a dollop of marmalade at the bottom of the basin. The marmalade is combined throughout, giving the dessert a rich, amber colour. Serve with Drambuie custard.

Hot Marmalade Pudding is a brilliant alternative for a traditional Christmas Pudding and can be made in advance. It also freezes well, whole, or in portions. It can be steamed to reheat it, or a portion could be warmed quickly for a few seconds in a microwave. This recipe is enough for 8 portions.

Ingredients:

150gm fine brown breadcrumbs
120gm soft brown sugar
25gm self-raising wholemeal flour (white self-raising would do)
120gm fresh butter, plus extra for greasing the bowl
8 tablespoonfuls well-flavoured, coarse-cut marmalade (homemade is always the best)
3 large eggs
1 rounded teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda plus water to mix

Method:

Butter a 3-pint pudding basin well.

Place the breadcrumbs, flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Melt the butter together with the marmalade, in a saucepan over a gently heat. Pour the melted ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly.

Whisk the eggs until frothy and beat gently into the mixture until blended together well. Last of all, dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 1 tablespoonful of cold water. Stir this into the pudding mixture, which will increase in volume as it absorbs the bicarbonate of soda.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared basin. Cover it with close-fitting lid, or alternatively, make a lid with circles of buttered greaseproof paper and foil, pleated together across the centre and tied securely around the rim of the basin.

Place the pudding basin in a saucepan of boiling water. The water should reach halfway up the side of the basin. Cover the pan with a close-fitting lid and simmer the pudding for 2 hours. The water will need topping-up throughout the cooking period. Turn out on to a serving dish, slice and serve hot, with fresh cream, ice cream, or - as we do at Three Chimneys - with Drambuie Custard.

DRAMBUIE CUSTARD

This is a proper egg custard flavoured with Drambuie liqueur. It is served warm, poured around the pudding. Alternative flavours could be added, such as vanilla, ginger, or crushed cardamon, to accompany other desserts. A tablespoonful of fresh ground coffee can be added to the same basic recipe, delicious with hot or cold chocolate desserts. Add an extra 2 egg yolks to thicken the custard much more for a homemade trifle. Drambuie Custard with sponge spread with homemade raspberry jam and sprinkled with Drambuie, plus a layer of fresh raspberries and double cream topped with toasted flaked almonds, makes a wonderful Scots trifle.

Ingredients:

275ml fresh milk
275ml fresh double cream
6 egg yolks
100gm caster sugar
2 tablespoonfuls Drambuie liqueur

Method:

Whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar until pale, slightly thick and creamy. Gently warm the milk and cream until it is just beginning to bubble. Pour the milk and cream on to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk together.

Return the mixture to the saucepan.

Bring to the boil very slowly, stirring all the time. As soon as it begins to thicken, or coats the back of the wooden spoon, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl or jug for serving. Stir in the Drambuie, or flavouring of your choice.

Serve immediately.

Alternatively, cool the custard quickly in a bowl sitting on ice and refrigerate when cold, until required.

The custard can be used cold for assembling a trifle, serving with frozen or chilled desserts, or reheated carefully for serving with a hot pudding.