Books and cakes - 21

     "Blanche Silcox did not show any mortification at [Evelyn's] cavalier reception of a dish which, on another occasion he would have enthusiastically welcomed. But nor had she shown any obvious gratification when he praised the duck and the mulberry pudding. In their deep domestic intimacy silence before other people was the appropriate thing."

     Mulberry pudding was what was called for by the book, but getting hold of mulberries was impossible, and even mulberry conserve proved beyond the scope of local shops. What I had in mind was Sarah Raven's recipe for Mulberry Bakewell Tart, but lacking the crucial ingredient I decided to substitute blackberries. 

I tried the suggested method of grating the pastry into the tin and that does appear to have given a good result (I've tasted just a mouthful of the finished tart so far so I shall have to do a proper consumer test at supper!). I omitted the lemon and added instead a good measure of Crème de Mûres, and having no time to go and forage for blackberries I used some from the supermarket to supplement what we have in the garden !

The man who has eaten a slice says it is very good.

Comments

[Lindsay]

Mulberries were so common in some areas where I last lived, that they often lay on the ground uncollected - though I imagine they were soon hoovered up by pigs and goats. But not in Edinburgh, apparently - not even in the Botanic Gardens?

[Dark Puss]

The limit of Mulberry cultivation (I mean successful cultivation) is roughly similar to wheat (at least its pre 20th C cultivars). I cannot remember offhand whether Edinburgh Botanical Gardens has a Black Mulberry growing in it. However a collection search reveals that both Morus alba and Morus niger are represented in the living collection at the Botanics.

Ah here is an (unverified) quote from this source http://www.grangeassociation.org/product/100.pdf

"Anyone doubting the willingness of Black mulberry to grow in Scotland, should visit the vigorous tree at Luffness or, for that matter, the tree near the bird cage in the Cooper Park, Elgin. I know of three planted in Edinburgh in recent years which, after a slow start, are beginning to motor. Fruit should not be expected for twenty years but then is likely to be copious and delicious, as is the case with the mulberry planted by the Queen Mother in the garden of Haddington House."

There is a large, and well fruiting, Mulberry in Keats Grove, London which we enquired about many years ago. We were told that there was a queue to collect the fruit and that the waiting list was about 20 years. Currently the waiting list for an allotment in our part of London exceedes 40 years, so perhaps we should have put our names down!

[Teresa]

I have a mulberry tree which has decided to grow up from two stems into a most beautiful tree. It unfurls its leaves last waiting like some precious princess for it to be warm enough but it is so elegant. The trouble is that it takes many years to fruit (although ours astounded us by fruiting after three years) which is why, I think, people don't plant them and then you have to get to the fruits before the birds.
I have a wedding photo taken by the mulberry tree in my parents house and remember my mother baking mulberry and apple puddings.
I would say that a mixture of blackberries and raspberries might give you something like the sweet and sour taste of the mulberry.

[Tram-Anh]

My friend Alice made this for us last night and it's delicious! The best bakewell tart I've ever had! She used raspberries, which I think worked perfectly.

[Cornflower]

It is a good recipe, Tram-Anh - definitely one to make again (and as a very kind friend has just sent me some Mulberry Preserve, I shall try it with that next time, but raspberries would be delicious).