Newfie Blueberry Duff
Ingredients
For the Duff:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Blueberry Sauce:
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
For the Rum Sauce:
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp. white or dark rum
Instructions
To prepare the blueberry duff:
- In a large bowl, blend together the flour, sugar and baking powder.
- Add blueberries and toss to distribute them in the flour mixture.
- Add the melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Using a wood spoon, mix all together until a soft dough is formed.
- Place dough in a wet heavy cotton pudding bag.
- Tie the bag with a piece of butcher string, leaving about an inch of slack at the top to allow the pudding to expand.
- In a large pot, boil gently for approximately 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours; add additional water, if necessary.
- Remove from pot, remove pudding from bag, place on a chopping board and slice.
- Place on individual serving plates, top with blueberry or rum sauce.
To prepare the blueberry sauce:
- In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice and sugar.
- Stir gently and bring to a boil.
- In the meantime, in a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water.
- Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries.
- Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 – 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon.
- Thin sauce with additional water if it becomes too thick for your liking.
To prepare the run sauce:
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cornstarch and stir into the butter.
- Pour in the milk and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to boil.
- Continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in the rum.
Notes
Puddings, in their wonderfully various forms, were a uniquely English culinary invention, as was the cloth in which they eventually came to be cooked. In particular, by the Regency, most families enjoyed a Christmas pudding during their holiday meal, and those puddings were cooked in a pudding cloth. However, since the use of the pudding cloth nearly died out at the beginning of the last century, few people today are familiar with the details of that all-important pudding cloth, as would have been most Regency home-makers.
A pudding bag can be easily made using an old pillow case. Lay the pillowcase on top of a table, from the corner of the pillowcase, measure 10″ up each side of the triangle you are forming, mark the 10″ point on each of the two sides, using a pair of scissors, cut directly across from one 10″ mark on one side to the other 10″ mark on the other side. You now have a triangle shaped pudding bag which will can be used over and over again.
