Almond Custard

This is one of two puddings served last week at a rationing dinner held for my book (originally posted in my old blog in March 2015).  It is so comforting that I long for it on winter days or when I deserve a treat which we all do most days!  

Adding jam to the pudding reminds me of a Bakewell tart without the pastry and with added coconut. If you would like to add orange flower water as in the original recipe, please do, though I would use teaspoons instead of tablespoons. Granny Dot advises to eat it cold. As a
compromise, I think warm is perfect, with a dollop of cream.

In her words:

Materials.– 1/2 lb. sweet almonds, ½ lb. castor sugar, 3 tablespoonsful orange-flower water, 3 whole eggs, 4 oz. dessicated cocoanut, ¼ oz. bicarbonate of soda, and 3 gills milk. Method.– Blanch the almonds, and pound them to a smooth paste in a mortar; add to this the sugar, orange-flower water and eggs, etc, mixing them well together and then adding the bicarbonate of soda; finally mixing it all thoroughly with the milk. Have read a buttered pie-dish, put the mixture into this, and bake for 40 minutes. Leave the custard to cool, and serve cold in a glass dish, covered with whipped cream flavoured with castor sugar and vanilla essence.

Mrs C.S. Peel, Puddings and Sweets, 1905

INGREDIENTS
Butter for the dish
3 eggs
140ml milk
225g/8oz ground almonds
175g/6oz caster sugar
110g /4oz dessicated coconut
Strawberry or raspberry Jam (or whatever you like)

Serves 6

1. Set the oven to 170C/340F and butter a dish which is approximately 20cm x 15cm.
2. Whisk the milk into the eggs in a measuring jug and then pour into the ground almonds, sugar and coconut in a bowl, adding a little more milk if necessary so that it easily drops from the spoon.
3. Dollop about half a jar of jam into the dish and spread it over the base.
4. Pour the mixture on top of the jam and bake for 20–25 minutes.
5. It is best served warm or cool, with cream.