Pantry Raiding Dessert

My sweet tooth was in overdrive last night, and with no chocolate in the house things were looking pretty grim. The only option was to come up with a dessert, and fast.
My first thought was a bread and butter pudding but quickly realised there were no eggs in the house either (I refuse to buy cage eggs and at my local supermarket the other day that was all that was available). Desperation was starting to set in so I rummaged deeper in the back of the pantry and found three possibilities. Condensed milk, sliced peaches and mandarin segments. Peach crumble! Rolled oats, check. Brown sugar, check. Flour, check. Butter, check. Perfect, we were on a winner, salvation was not far away!
On a whim I decided to combine the peaches and mandarin and the result was fantastic. The brash sweetness of canned peaches was softened by the tang of the mandarin, one pot of home made custard later and dessert was a winner!
Simple, tasty, fast.
You never know what you will find in the pantry, have a look in yours and inspire yourself too!

Rainy Days & Comfort Food

Today is a very non-productive day for me due to the recurrence of the head cold which seems committed to staying the entire winter, and the grey rainy weather outside.
So of course my thoughts turn to delicious hearty and comforting winter food which even though I cannot smell at the moment I am still drawing pictures in my mind that are making the taste buds salivate.
Number one? Winning by a landslide is mashed potato.
Oh yum, beautiful white fluffy mash. Topped with sea salt flakes and cracked pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. So simple, so divine.
Or topped with a white sauce: parsley, cheese or if I'm really feeling like cooking, a fresh hollandaise.

Number two: Soup.
A meal in a bowl, perfect for slurping in bed while propped up by pillows with a sleeping cat on your lap. Even better with a crusty baguette with lashings of real butter (margarine is not welcome in this house), just so long as you catch the crumbs in your bowl and not in your bed! Favourite soups include minestrone, pumpkin, creamy curry cauliflour, and a spicy kumara.

Number Three: Home Made Puddings
I had many thoughts swirling through my mind for the 3rd and final spot, but coming back to the "comfort food concept" there was no going past this one for me. From a basic bread and butter pudding to a rhubarb crumble, they are so simple to make and so rustically delicious. If only I could recreate my grandmother's gramma pie that unfortunately left my world of experience when she did. I did get her to show me once or twice but, much like myself, she never bothered with measurements either and there was no "recipe" as such to share. It was a strange combination of seasoning the boiled gramma with both salt and sugar until the desired taste and consistency was achieved; but that taste was so good that I have never tasted anything to compare.
And the best part comfort wise of enjoying puddings? Smothering it with home made custard...heaven.