Carribean Upside Down Pudding
Lime, coconut and papaya are obvious flavours to bring together; add demerara sugar, and you have a pudding that evokes images of hot sunshine, balmy breezes, golden beaches, laughter and calypsos. If you can gel knobbly Thai kaffir limes, use the rinds, but not the juice, as they have a really fragrant lime flavour.
INGREDIENTS:
2 PAPAYAS
GRATED RIND AND JUICE
OF 2 LIMES
85 G/3 OZ CASTER SUGAR
150 G/5 OZ DEMERARA SUGAR
115 G/4 OZ. UNSALTED BUTTER
2 EGGS, SIZE 2, BEATEN 115 G/4 OZ PLAIN FLOUR 11/2 TSP BAKING POWDER
25 G/1 OZ DESICCATED COCONUT
COCONUT SAUCE:
300 MI./1O FL ON DOUBLE CREAM
2 TBSP CASTER SUGAR,
PREFERABLY VANILLA-FLAVOURED
55 G/2 ON CREAMED COCONUT,
CHOPPED
4 TBSP MILK DECORATION:
LIGHTLY TOASTED
FLAKED COCONUT
DIRECTIONS:
To make the sauce, pour the cream into a bowl. In a small saucepan, gently heat the sugar and coconut in the milk until the coconut and sugar have dissolved. Stir into the cream, then cover and place in the refrigerator to chill well.
Peel the papayas, cut ill half and discard the seeds. Slice the papayas and place in a shallow dish. Sprinkle over the lime juice and leave for 2-3 hours.
Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 1. Well butter the base of a 24-25 cm/91/2-10 inch fluted flan dish at least 4 cm/11/2 inches deep, and butter the sides.
Drain the lime juice from the papaya slices into a bowl. Stir in the caster sugar and reserve for spooning over the baked pudding.
Arrange the papaya slices in the dish and sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of the demerara sugar.
Heat together the butter and the remaining demerara sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs. Stir in the flour, baking powder, lime rind and coconut. Carefully spoon over the papaya slices and bake fOr about 50 minutes until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Prick the top of the pudding all over with a fine skewer or needle, stir the sweetened lime juice and spoon evenly over. [.cave fiw a few minutes, then invert Onto a warm plate. Sprinkle over flaked coconut to decorate and serve with the cold sauce.
