INGREDIENTS
135g self-raising flour
Pinch salt
25g butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp milk, to moisten
375ml water
160g sugar
35g butter, extra
11/2 tbsp golden syrup
Lemon juice for squeezing, optional
Matthew Evans’ bay leaf custard
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins
Makes: 1 litre
1L milk
3–4 fresh bay leaves, well washed
2 tbsp cornflour (pure maize cornflour works best)
6 eggs
100g sugar
METHOD
1. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in butter. Add the egg and enough milk to make a dough. Roll into 10–12 evenly sized small ball-shaped dumplings.
2. To make the sauce, heat the water, sugar, extra butter and golden syrup in a medium-sized pan until boiling. Plop in the dumplings, put on a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, adding a little squeeze of lemon juice to make it a little more adult. Serve with bay leaf custard and garnished with bay leaves if desired.
METHOD - Bay Leaf Custard
1. Place milk and bay leaves in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring with a whisk, until it boils. Take off heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
2. Use a little milk to dissolve the cornflour in a bowl, whisk in eggs and sugar. Reheat the milk, strain and whisk into egg mixture.
3. Pour this back into a clean saucepan over medium-low heat, continue whisking or stirring until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Serve.