Take comfort

Trifles, too, are back in fashion, but not in quite the way I remember them from my childhood – synthetic concoctions of raspberry jam, tinned fruit and Bird’s Eye custard slathered over sugary trifle sponges and studded with glace cherries and lurid green angelica. Today’s trifles are more likely to be restrained, sophisticated creations containing brioche or panettone with rhubarb and ginger, or pineapple and lemongrass.

Even the French admire our puddings. Back in the seventeenth century a certain Madame de Valbourg was travelling through England. She was moved to exclaim: ‘Ah! What an excellent thing is an English pudding! It is manna better than that of the wilderness.’

Four hundred years later and Nico Ladenis is entertaining legendary French chef Albert Roux at a private New Year meal. What’s for pudding? None other than that nursery staple, pain perdu, otherwise known as eggy bread.

Good Custard

Jam Roly Poly

Warm Cinnamon Cake

Golden Syrup Pudding