Apple And Arrowroot Pudding
From the treasured pages of Recipe book of Charles Ellice, Colonel, 24th Regiment
Written by Charles Ellice, Colonel

Apple And Arrowroot Pudding
"Butter a 2nd course silver Dish, take good baking Apples, cut them in quarters, and place them very regularly in the Dish with Apricot Marmalade and powdered Sugar over them. Let the dish be half full of Apples and a little fresh butterr over them .. Next make some Arrowroot very thick with 1/2 milk and 1/2 Cream - A little Lemon Peel in it and pour it over the Apples quite hot, bake this in a moderate Oven; When done put more powdered Sugar over it and glaze with the Salamander."
Note on the Original Text
Recipes like this were written for those already confident in the kitchen and omit precise timings or quantities—exact measurements for ingredients and baking times are a modern expectation. Directions are succinct, with the assumption that the reader can infer details such as pan size or oven temperature. Spelling is largely standard but phrasing is slightly formal and elliptical (e.g., 'Let the dish be half full of Apples'). Ingredient names may reflect their 19th-century trade (e.g., 'arrowroot'), and tools like the ‘salamander’ are referenced straightforwardly, reflecting their everyday knowledge for cooks of the period.

Title
Recipe book of Charles Ellice, Colonel, 24th Regiment (1856)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Charles Ellice, Colonel
Era
1856
Publisher
Colonel Charles Ellice
Background
A charming manuscript cookbook chronicling the culinary escapades of Colonel Charles Ellice during his globe-trotting military career, featuring recipes from Highland butter to yeastless bread, spicy curries, and even a dash of Victorian medicine—all penned alongside evocative ink sketches and a personal index.
Kindly made available by
McGill University
This recipe hails from the mid-19th century Scottish Highlands, preserved in the manuscript cookbook of Colonel Charles Ellice. As a British Army officer stationed across India and Scotland, Ellice compiled a diverse repertoire, drawing culinary notes from both home and abroad. The recipe sits at the intersection of Victorian British home cooking and Highland hospitality, reflecting both the resourcefulness and sophistication of officers’ kitchens of the era. The manuscript itself is filled with foods chosen for both comfort and practicality, from rustic breads to lavish puddings like this one—showcasing a blend of local produce and influences from Ellice’s travels.

Cooks in the 19th century would have used a silver or heavy ceramic baking dish, a simple butter knife or spoon, and possibly a fine grater for the lemon peel. The arrowroot mixture would be stirred in a pan over a coal or wood-fired range. After baking, a salamander—a heavy, flat iron disc heated in fire—would have been pressed just above the pudding’s surface to quickly caramelize the sugar topping, much like a modern kitchen blowtorch or grill. Utensils were often multipurpose and built to last, reflecting both function and a touch of Victorian elegance.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Servings
6
Ingredients
- Butter, for greasing and dotting (approx. 2 tablespoons/1 ounce total)
- Baking apples, about 1 1/2 pounds (5–6 medium apples), peeled, cored, and quartered
- Apricot marmalade or apricot jam, 2–3 tbsp (about 2 ounces)
- Powdered (icing) sugar, about 1 ounce plus extra for finishing
- Arrowroot powder, 1/3 cup
- Whole milk, 1 1/4 cups
- Double (heavy) cream, 1 1/4 cups
- Lemon peel, finely grated zest of half a lemon
Instructions
- Butter a medium-sized ovenproof baking dish (about 1.5 quarts capacity).
- Peel and core 5–6 good baking apples (around 1 1/2 pounds total), then cut them into quarters.
- Arrange the apple quarters neatly in the dish.
- Spoon 2–3 tablespoons (about 2 ounces) apricot jam or marmalade over the apples and sprinkle with 2–3 tablespoons (about 1 ounce) powdered (icing) sugar.
- Add small dots of 2 tablespoons (about 1 ounce) unsalted butter over the apples.
- In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup arrowroot powder with 1 1/4 cups whole milk and 1 1/4 cups double (heavy) cream.
- Add the finely grated zest of half a lemon.
- Stir continuously over medium heat until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency.
- Pour the hot arrowroot mixture over the apples to cover them.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 340°F for about 35–45 minutes, until the pudding is set and apples are tender.
- When done, sprinkle another tablespoon of icing sugar over the top and, if desired, use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize (glaze) the sugar, or briefly return to the oven under a hot broiler.
Estimated Calories
370 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the apples and pudding mixture, then about 40 minutes to bake the pudding. This recipe makes 6 servings, each with around 370 calories.
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