Great Dame’s Danish Pudding

Danish Pudding is a strange name given to a trifle that I learnt to make in high school. We had a subject called Nutrition which some of us took up as an additional primarily because we were told that it was easy to score marks in it. I was personally interested in the Practical part which allowed us to cook and try different dishes. At that age, food was important and the ability to cook and eat your favourite dishes seemed like a useful skill to have.

Danish Pudding and Nutrition Class connection

Turned out that many of my friends loved me taking that subject, because they got to eat some of the dishes prepared during the classes. That’s how I first got to make Danish Pudding.

I came from a family of many good cooks and mostly I was an assistant- being made to run around and help with the prepwork. Seldom did I get a chance to make something from scratch.

It so happened that over time, I was allowed to help with the salads, appetizers and desserts. Usually, the main courses were the star items which couldn’t be left in the hands of novices.

Now when I look back, Danish Pudding is a very easy trifle which was popular amongst many because it used up regular common ingredients like milk, custard powder, fruits, biscuits and jam/jelly. I don’t think it scores very highly on Nutritional values. (Just a passing thought there)

But it maybe good to get some milk products and fruits into kids who don’t like to eat otherwise.

Danish Pudding’s royal heritage

The chocolate sauce used in it was a favourite for most kids and elders with a sweet tooth. It didn’t involve baking and could be made ahead and stored later for slower consumption as leftovers. But it takes a lot of time which many of us don’t have these days.

I haven’t made Danish Pudding in ages. Over the years, we have moved towards lighter desserts and sometimes replacing desserts with fruits (of course healthier alternatives). This time I’m with my friend who used to love it when we were in college. I have often thought about her whenever I made a pudding or something with custard remembering her delight in tasting it.

We were a tight group of 3 girls- fancifully calling ourselves “The Three Musketeers“. Perhaps we were amongst the first girls in our batch entering the male bastion of the “Boys Common Room” (BCR) which was much more interesting than the “Girls Common Room”. Primarily because the BCR was all about carom, Table Tennis and game talk. The Girls Common Room seemed a lot sleepier.

Over the years, I have moved away from interest in games/sports compared to many of my other friends. But I do believe that helps to keep us alive in different ways.

Mobile games took up some of our time during the pandemic and I realised how addictive it could become.

Prince of Denmark never heard of this Pudding

Internet search for this particular recipe was in vain. Apparently, there’s a Danish Pudding made from rice and red berries. The pudding recipe in my school notebook which I made several times is nothing like that. So, other online sources are being junked for the time being.

Today, I am consciously trying to explore more of life outside our homes. There is a fair bit of learning in experiencing little things in real life. Much more perhaps than reading about it or learning through online sources. It also adds a nuance to the depth of our experiences which is perhaps the key to having a deeper empathy for others.

I had researched about museums to visit in New York. Metropolitan Art Museum was on my list.

The little victory of being able to book a train ticket from Stamford to Grand Central with my newly acquired Multicurrency card was the first kicker.

The second was the understanding of timing- about off-peak trains, slow vs express trains and the different seats where you can get charging plug points for your phone/laptop. Minute things and you may laugh at it but it’s invigorating to try to be alert in a new situation and to think like a young student again.

Resistance to Danish Pudding

Oh, Grand Central Station itself was a treat for me- having seen it in multiple films/TV series. I saw many visitors taking pics. My friend pointed out the ceiling to me and yes, that is definitely something worth capturing.

While I love trains, I wanted to take the bus as well. So, from Grand Central I checked the bus route to Metropolitan Art Museum. This allowed me to take in the sights around the city. It’s fun to look at everything- all the stores, boutiques, offices, cafes, people walking on the sidewalks and other vehicles with wide-eyed wonder.

Quite a few cafes and shops around it to explore. I didn’t research it well, but perhaps I will keep that for later. I want to do a street food tour and one on desserts (perhaps cheesecake?). A Hop on Hop Off Bus is recommended for this purpose.

Rambling Rose – peaceful explorations

Yes, I know, I sound like a dog. 🙂 I know this kind of enticement is unlikely when you repeat this exercise regularly. The first time or first few times is always special. Like, I didn’t have the exact change for the bus ride (you need coins for that), so I used my card again. And it worked! Another little secret happy relieved moment.

But funnily, the card didn’t work when I tried it for online booking of tickets for the museum or later for another train ticket website. Interestingly, the card worked when I tapped it at the ticketing counter there.

Cute little moment, I actually got away with a lower priced ticket at the museum. This was thanks to the young ticketing guy. I asked him if I could get away with being a student. He asked for my student ID card, and I confessed I didn’t have any. He looked at my grey hair and deadpanned “OK. Just for today.”

And I got in thrilled with a Student ticket and a little act of “unlawful activity”. 🙂

You see, the price difference (savings) was not much- but just that silly moment brought a smile to my face.

Notes from a sleepy Hamlet

As I say very often, we do have a lot more to learn as we age. We become more eager students.

Like, how much I looked forward to the various exhibits in the museum and how little I could actually cover. 🙂 I was really tired after a few rooms. And soon the paintings- the Rembrandts, the El Grecos, the Vermeers, the Caravaggios and everything else started blurring in my head.

Some of them were getting mixed up with memories of visits to other museums in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Singapore, Toledo, etc. The rush of half-forgotten memories of art intermingled with cities, people, meals and conversations made me quite tired. My brain is an older processor now.

I mean, keeping up with Groks and their likes is difficult when they leap with their own artificial inferences.

I am sharing here a few old favourites and somewhere that little voice in my head was ticking- “I saw this in that museum earlier”. Perhaps they were there or another close replica. Like so many versions of the same or similar painting done by artists who practice to perfect.

Much like the Ballet Dancers series of Degas or the Water Lilies by Monet that used to be one of my favorites at a younger age. This was before I realized some of these are so well known that you maybe scorned for your common taste.

Danish Pudding Memory Files

I have to keep up with my intellectual friends who have a need to drop a few more obscure names to differentiate their higher quality of erudition. Like you know, the people who will cancel an Old Friends show because Bernadette Peters is not performing. It’s ok- I understand the principle of it.

Like one of my friends will cancel a meetup on principle because she felt slighted by not being involved in the planning of the meeting venue or the exact timing of the meetup. Well, what can you do.

We have Great Dames and Grand Divas everywhere singing Vive La France as they rapidly finish meters and meters of knitting. I get it. It’s like you want to make jheenge poshto with snake gourd and insist that it’s same as ridge gourd. (Ummm- no, not quite.)

Oh….coming back to Metropolitan Art Museum highlights. There was a little installation with a feminist monologue about Eating Melons and breaking plate gifted by an aunt’s will. That one was definitely something that didn’t ring a bell and was quite arresting. Does it sound weird if I tell you that I was reminded of Arrested Development in a bizarre way after watching it.

A rather brutal insensitive (and more importantly) provocative take on different kinds of trauma. I could perhaps relate to it even though it’s a much older piece- I wonder if others can. If the objective is to dramatise and entertain- this short piece maybe hailed as a masterpiece by some.

Truth is, we have too much of drama these days and I wonder, where we can actually find peace.

Street Food and explorations before Cooking

I ended up eating Pizza at the museum even though I have been trying to eat healthier. I can recommend the Pepperoni Cheese slice. Please avoid that Spicy Chicken one- tasted v weird.

I mused perhaps this is not the best introduction to pizza in New York City. But anyways, this was hardly planned.

I also ended up having some Matcha drink around Times Square after a long hot afternoon of queuing up for discounted Broadway tickets. Seems like old habits die hard. Discounted ticket deals and then queuing up for overpriced bubble tea drinks- learnings from my Singapore days. I don’t get the logic but then who does.

Thankfully didn’t need to queue up for lunch. Just went into the nearest empty restaurant that looked half decent and suitable for families. Well, I was a bit wary I must confess since the air was quite heavy with Marijuana around Time Square. In fact, I spotted a couple of stores selling that stuff legally out there.

I saw many other travelers at the restaurant- a few seemed clearly like out of towners. Not surprising considering this is the heart of tourist destinations in New York.

Olive Garden sounds regular family friendly Italian

I overheard a bit of conversations from nearby tables as I waited for the food to arrive. Well, I didn’t have much of a choice there. Some of the people were quite loud, and I do understand their language. 🙂

There was a middle-aged lady with two younger girls discussing hair care products and tips. I was curious as she looked like their mother or aunt, but they were having a very “professional” sounding discussion. Next up was a snippet of a conversation caught in the restrooms- where a young lady was being squeezed into a pretty tight off shoulder white dress. Her mother/aunt was helping her zip it up along with another younger woman. I heard them wishing her all the best for what sounded like a date with a young man.

She was being encouraged with words like “Oh dear, that dress is so great for women with curves like you“. And she simpered and thanked them for helping while she touched up her face which looked pretty good anyways to me.

Later I saw her from a distance at the Time Square walking with a young guy carrying a messenger bag who looked like her date. I must confess, she seemed more of the catch in that equation. But that’s just a very superficial first cut impression.

Gone for a Six- Theater lovers in Broadway

I ended up getting tickets for Six– a fun musical with a young cast doing a fair bit of song and dance. It has a few snappy sassy bitchy numbers on dating, marriage, divorce and adulting- finding your own identity somewhere.

Almost 60% of the audience seemed like young high school/college girls. Some accompanied by their parents or schoolteachers. Interestingly, a few in my ticketing queue sounded like they were from Texas or somewhere South. I’m no expert on accents- so I could be wrong there.

I had originally planned to watch Buona Vista Social club, The Picture of Dorian Grey or Mincemeat. So how did I get diverted to this show instead?

I had fun so I am not complaining. I even managed to grab a couple of really nice drinks next to the theater. A rare indulgence since I don’t drink much these days. And I managed to catch a few winks towards the end of the show. Don’t mean that as a slight to the highly energetic captivating performance. I am just older, and I was tired after a long day of walking around.

I walked back towards Grand Central reviewing the day. Somewhere I made a mental note that I was eating and drinking far more than I had planned. So, the 14k steps that I took was probably in vain..

I also sprained my ankle somehow. So, it was a bit of a painful limping retreat to the base. Alas, I don’t think I can pose as a student every day. That con game is out of the window.

Warming up to the idea of Danish Pudding

Turns out there’s a heatwave warning for this week, so I am staying put and cooking instead. I went with my friend’s husband on a quick grocery run for a massive cooking session. This is his regular fortnightly big beef stew for their beloved boss baby. I learnt a few things about cooking for pets.

It was fun but perhaps doing it regularly over the years can be a pain. And I can imagine, how worrisome it maybe when their child (pet) refuses to eat. Normally he’s a happy dog but perhaps not eating his regular meals is one of the first indicators of something disturbing.

I do notice, he is rather fond of scones, biscuits, cheese cubes and other treats. I always check before giving him a bite. And he’s a well behaved (rather suspicious alert) watch dog. Always cross checks with his parent before taking a bite. (Remember, no accepting food from strangers!) 🙂

So back to Danish Pudding- this is my little treat for my friend and her husband. They have been really sweet and I am trying to do my best to help them. Though TBH, there’s not much I can do here.

Danish Pudding has biscuits

We have our usual chat about how biscuits are different in the US. What we call biscuits are called cookies here. And biscuits in the US are the big ones you have with main meals. Then there was suddenly a steering towards briskets. I remembered making one for the first time for my husband’s birthday. The last one I got to celebrate with him. Well, he doesn’t appreciate or remember, so this is a moot point. Mostly, my memories here act as a timely reminder. Everything I did was a waste.

Perhaps this is not very encouraging for budding cooks. So, I repeat, do it for yourself if you love it. The dismissive arrogance and entitlement of people you love is unfortunately part of what we now fashionably call “collateral damage”.

Calling upon Jesus or Mary didn’t help my case.

We did discuss that this Danish Pudding must be made with Marie biscuits. We found something similar, but it’s called Maria biscuits. It is from Spain which explains how Marie became Maria. Nope- we had no problems with this Maria.

Potaeto…potaahto…ladidadidah.

Little things but you know how it’s like a bit of a treasure hunt when you do something familiar in an unfamiliar place.

It’s perhaps easier to make this pudding over the day slowly as you do other chores around the house. Unfortunately, we started a bit late in the evening and ended up waiting till past midnight to finish up the different steps, clearing out dishes and cleaning the kitchen space.

Danish Pudding Notes for Future

Refrigerating it to set it overnight is recommended. And then you have a nice little treat for next day brunch or evening dessert. We actually couldn’t wait and had a generous helping for breakfast.

Yep, I am really piling on more kilos! Chef Sito reassured me earlier that everything is big in Texas.

So, I’m kind of ready to head there next. 🙂

Hope some of you try this as an indulgent holiday dessert for friends and family. I am sure kids will love them. There were different kinds of assorted chocolate chunks, chips and powders – perhaps leftovers from another baking session earlier. I was happy to mix and match here to get the desired level of sweetness. Measurements are hence a little bit of an approximation for this sauce.

My friend did ask me to increase the chocolate sauce compared to the vanilla custard in the recipe. That’s just her quirk (being highly partial towards chocolate). I personally think that would make it v rich and indulgent. This is more balanced, homelier and easier to digest.

But I think I may have to make it as her reimagined concoction once more later. Maybe we will call that version Belgian Brunette Pudding. 🙂

Footnote

To be or Not to be a Cook

What’s going through my mind today

Is a weird mix of stories layered away

I’m encouraged by others to cook

While they find ways to overlook

Nobody helped me to find work that pays

Instead I was reminded of overstepping and overstays.

I had no intention of doing that- I came mostly to learn

Because I was encouraged to study or seek more work by some.

Unfortunately, I’m an older woman asked to run a marathon

With kids who made fun of my experience

Can I rewrite my history so that you can romance

With an illusion or mirage of mystery?

Nothing really matters when my tears or laughs

Are dismissed as momentary neural transmissions

To be mapped for enabling a little robotic moonwalk

Which can help you to entertain more or perhaps talk.

I don’t say this with derision or disrespect

I say it with a touch of silent reflection

Sounds weird but you see the other aspect-

I wasn’t there to see your tears or smiles

For many years in the past

And probably won’t for many years that will last.

My little offering is only here and now

And that makes it so very precious

And yet so very transient and meaningless.

Unless I share a little story that helps you

See your everyday and the mundane

As some things to celebrate in their full glory.

What’s normal for you maybe extraordinary for some

And what you find really superlative

May not be much for another blessed or cursed as a native

Why do I feel like an outsider and a stranger

(Always)

Even as I walk through the paces of my own life?

If you never belong, perhaps you never long….

That’s the beauty of this funny sad song.

Melting Lemon Drop 29.06.2025