Ugh! I bought a packet of sweetened soya milk by mistake instead of unsweetened.

The unsweetened variety is lovely on cereal in the morning but it's not nice sweetened!  
I've always felt that if people want to make something sweeter then they can add sugar (honey, syrup, dried fruit, apple juice, whatever) themselves and don't need it added by the manufacturer.
I've used the rogue packet of sweetened soy milk to make a rather nice rice pudding in the slow cooker and here's my recipe:

SOYA RICE PUDDING
900ml sweetened soya milk
6 level tablespoons pudding rice
1 tsp of butter (or vegetarian margarine)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cook in slow cooker for a few hours - it's very nice.  Or you could use part soya milk and part creamy milk.

I've been lucky in the past two autumns to be able to pick lots and lots of blackberries.  
Their natural accompaniment is apples, as in apple and blackberry pie, apple and blackberry crumble which we could eat for ever.  
However, I've just found another recipe using blackberries*, which look interesting.


BLACKBERRY PUDDING
25g caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
450g blackberries, washed
8 thin-cut slices of day-old, quality white bread
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
grated zest of 1 large lemon
300ml milk
142ml pot double cream
2 large eggs, beaten well
25g demerara sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.
2. Mix caster sugar with 1 tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle half of this mixture into the base of a deep 1.5 litre ovenproof dish.
3. Speread bread on one side with butter and cut each slice into two triangles, leaving crusts on.
4. Arrange half the bread in overlapping slices over the blckberries and press down to squash the fruit slightly.
5. Add remaining blackberries then sprinkle the rest of the sugar/cinnamon mixture, along with the lemon zest, over the top.
6. Add remaining layer of bread and press down.
7. use a fork to lightly whisk together the milk, cream and beaten eggs, then carefully pour the mixture evenly over the bread.
8. Mix remaining cinnamon with demerara sugar and scatter over the top.
9. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crisp and the fruit is bubbling.
10. Serve with fresh pouring cream.

this can be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge.  sprinkle demerara topping on just before cooking.  could also use raspberries instead of the blackberries.  could substitute candied peel for the cinnamon.

* many thanks for Waitrose

Dried Fruit Compote

1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

1 cup water

2 cups wine

2 - 3 cups dried fruit, such as pears, peaches, apricots, prunes, raisins

Optional: cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, cardamom seeds, toasted peppercorns

1. Put all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for a long time. (times to follow when I've tried this recipe).

See also slow cooker recipes at:

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2011/10/40-crock-pot-slow-cooker-dessert-candy.html

Today it's Sunday so I thought it would be a nice change to make a pudding.

Found some rhubarb in the freezer and also some raspberries.  This seemed like a good combination.  However, when thawed, the 'squashed raspberries' turned out to be 'beetroot soup', so that was a lucky escape!  

Then saw half a pineapple in the fridge and wondered if rhubarb and pineapple would make a good combination.  Somehow I wasn't too sure, so looked it up on the 'net.

Some sites advised against it, such as : http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/feb/24/foodanddrink.features112, whereas, other ones had recipes combining these ingredients, see: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/stewed-rhubarb-with-pineapple-224744 and http://www.theimpatientchef.com/desserts/rhubarb-pineapple-crumble/.

I wonder if the advice not to combine rhubarb and pineapple more refers to advice which was given, see this interesting page: http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/rheum_x_hybridum.htm

Have decided to make two crumbles - one pineapple, one rhubarb, this saving any problems!

Crumble recipe:
4 oz sugar, 5 oz butter, 7 oz sr flour, some wheatgern and bran.  Serves 6.

Another idea is to make the excess raspberries, plus their juice, into a jelly using gelatine (vegetarian or otherwise) and a little icing sugar.

Also I love making what the children used to call PINK PUDDING - because of it's gorgeous colour.  It needs two bowls which is rather a fag but it's worth it to enjoy the putting; sooner rather than later as it doesn't keep.

1/2 lb raspberries
2 egg whites, whisked
2 oz sugar
4 fl oz double cream, whipped
1 carton natural yoghurt

Mix all the ingredients together, serves 4 - 6 people.

Pudding time ...

Nostalgia Pudding 
(from Jocelyn Dimbleby)

8 oz butter
12 oz apricot jam
4 tbsp lemon juice
10 oz breadcrumbs
2 oz SR
5 oz caster sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp bicarb
4 oz chocolate

1. Measure out dry ingredients - breadcrumbs, sr, sugar, bicarb.
2. Melt butter and jam in saucepan.
3. Add lemon juice, pour over dry ingredients,
4. Add eggs, mix.
5. Add chocolate.
6. Put into dishes
7. Serves 14

Apple & Apricot Crumble

Med sq round cooked apple
6 apricots, chopped
2 ozs demerara sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 oz butter
4 oz margarine
5 oz white flour
3 oz wholemeal flour
6 oz demerara sugar
cook at 180 for 30-40 mins
serves about 6


APRICOT BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

18 thin slices white bread, crusts removed
5 oz butter
10 oz chopped apricots
20 fl oz double cream
32 fl oz milk
8 big eggs (or 4 egg yolks and 4 eggs)
4.5 oz caster sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 170/190 (5). Spread butter onto bread and cut each slice into 4 triangles. Arrange 9 slices of bread over base of tin. Sprinkle over the apricots, then arrange remaining bread triangles on top.
2. Mix cream, milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar together and sieve. Pour over bread and leave to soak 5 mins.
3. Put dish into roasting tin and pour hot water half way up the sides.
4. Bake in high oven for about 30 mins, until top is golden and custard is lightly set but soft in centre.
5. Remove from tin, cool about 15 mins.
6. Serve with cream or ice cream
7. Serves 18