Recipe: Grand Diplôme Cherry Pudding

Valentine's Day dessert!

“Cherry pudding, with a meringue topping, can be served hot or cold.”—Grand Diplôme Cooking Course, vol. 3 (1971) 

“If possible fresh red cherries should be used for this dessert; if using canned ones, reduce the sugar in the pudding to 1 tablespoon.” 

“Add the drained cherries to the milk, egg and breadcrumb mixture before baking. Carefully pile the meringue on top of baked cherry mixture before returning pudding to a low oven to bake until crisp.” 

GRAND DIPLÔME CHERRY PUDDING 

1 lb fresh red cherries, pitted, or 16 oz can pitted red cherries, drained 
2 ½ Tbsp sugar 
1 ¼ C milk, scalded 
1 C fresh white breadcrumbs 
2 egg yolks (use whites for Meringue, below) 
Grated rind of ½ lemon 
1 C heavy cream (for serving—optional) 
Meringue Topping 

Preheat oven to 350°. If using fresh cherries, put into a pan, add 1 ½ Tbsp sugar, cover, and cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour scalded milk over breadcrumbs and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in egg yolks, remaining 1 Tbsp sugar, and grated lemon rind. Drain fresh cherries (if using) and add drained cherries to mixture. Spoon mixture into a buttered 1 quart capacity soufflé dish, stand dish in a water bath, and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until mixture is just set. Remove pudding from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300o. Prepare Meringue Topping. Spread Meringue Topping over cherry mixture, sprinkle Meringue with reserved sugar, and let stand 4 to 5 minutes at room temperature. Bake pudding 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold with heavy cream (optional) 

MERINGUE TOPPING
2 egg whites (from yolks, above) 
¼ C sugar 

Beat egg whites until they hold a soft shape, then beat in 1 tsp of the sugar and continue beating. When whites are quite firm, fold in remaining sugar quickly, reserving some sugar for topping.