Pickering Pots - recipe

Its nice to get away from the homestead every now and again, to have a change of scenary and refresh your batteries and meet and make new friends should the occasion arise. Thats what we did a few weekends ago, spent the bank holiday weekend in Pickering in East  North Yorkshire...just a couple of nights away in a guesthouse was all that was needed. And from that trip friendships were formed, from a meeting of like minds, tea was drunk by the teapot full, steam trains were boarded and gazed at, good food was eaten, lavender farms were surveyed, flat tyres were mended in a downpour rain, cameras were left at home(!), stately homes were almost visited and this recipe for 'Pickering Pots' was born.

'Pickering Pots' came from and idea after buying some local preserves (I'm a fiend for buying jam if I think its good wholesome stuff). These preserves were sold in the guest house and I had tried them at breakfast and loved them. Local preserves in hand and a trip to a local lavender farm for inspiration. No lavender to see in full bloom unfortunately, but lovely panoramic views...

My Pickering Pots are dessert pots of lavender scented rice pudding, blackcurrant conserve and with a crunchy caramelised brûlée topping.

Ingredients:
100g pudding rice
75g caster sugar (plus extra for the topping)
1 teaspoon dried lavender (suitable for culinary use, I used Steenbergs)
1 pint milk
half tin coconut milk
100ml double cream or milk (if your rice pudding needs it)
small jar of blackcurrant jam or conserve, the best you can afford (or even better use homemade!)
Method:
1. Put the milk into a pan and add the dried lavender, start to bring to the boil and just before boiling remove from the heat. Add the teaspoon of dried lavender and mix and leave to steep for about 30 minutes.
2. Pre heat the oven to 160C. In an oven proof dish place the rice, the caster sugar and then drain the stepped milk through a fine sieve over the top, add the half tin of coconut milk. Put a lid on the dish and bake in the oven at 160C for about an hour and a half.
3. Take 4 small ramekins and into the bottom of each put about a teaspoon and half of the blackcurrant preserve.
4. When the rice pudding is cooked I added some double cream to mine as it had absorbed a lot of liquid and I do like rice pudding to be rich and really creamy.
5. Add this rice pudding to the top of the conserve in each ramekin and level out the tops a little bit.
5. Sprinkle the rice pudding tops with golden caster sugar or demerera sugar then hit this with a blast of the blow torch or put the ramekins under the grill on high to caramelise the top.

These were mini Pickering Pots as we scoffed these after a big meal!

Ahhh they were the days...