Desserts

Apple Mastic Pudding Recipe

Apple mastic pudding is a Turkish layered dessert made with spiced apple compote, crushed biscuits and a creamy mastic-flavoured custard topped with whipped cream. Warm cinnamon apple, crunchy biscuit, silky pudding.

The mastic resin is what makes this different from any standard custard. Two small pieces dissolved into the hot milk give the pudding a faint piney, floral flavour and a slightly chewy, elastic texture you can’t get any other way. It’s subtle but once you’ve tasted it, plain vanilla custard feels one-dimensional. If you can’t find mastic, the pudding still works, but you lose what makes it special.

I cook the apples down with sugar and cinnamon until they’re soft but not mushy. You want pieces that hold their shape in the glass, not applesauce. Grating the apples gives you thin shreds that cook quickly and absorb the cinnamon sugar without needing much time on the hob. The walnuts go in off the heat so they stay crunchy. Cooking them in the apple makes them soft and they disappear into the mixture.

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Apple Mastic Pudding Ingredients

For the Apple Layer

4 large apples, peeled and coarsely grated
50g (2oz) caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g (2oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

For the Biscuit Layer

100g (4oz) chocolate digestive biscuits (about half a packet), crushed in a food processor

For the Pudding

750ml (26fl oz) milk
200ml (7fl oz) double cream
100g (4oz) caster sugar
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
2 heaped tbsp cornflour
1 sachet vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 egg yolk
2 small pieces mastic resin (optional)

How To Make Apple Mastic Pudding

Cook the apple filling: Put the grated apples and sugar in a pan over medium heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the apples soften and the liquid reduces. Add the cinnamon, stir through, then take off the heat. Fold in the chopped walnuts and set aside to cool completely.

Crush the biscuits: Blitz the chocolate biscuits in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Set aside.

Make the pudding: Put the milk, sugar, flour, cornflour, vanilla sugar and egg yolk in a saucepan. Whisk everything together well before turning on the heat. Place over low heat and stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. When it begins to bubble, add the mastic resin pieces. Continue stirring for another 2-3 minutes until the pudding is thick and smooth. Take off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.

Whip in the cream: Once the pudding has cooled, pour in the double cream. Whisk with an electric mixer until the pudding is light, smooth and airy.

Assemble the glasses: Spoon the cooled apple filling into the bottom of serving glasses or cups. Add two tablespoons of crushed biscuit over the apple layer and press down lightly. Pour the creamy pudding on top, filling each glass almost to the rim.

Chill and serve: Sprinkle the remaining crushed biscuit over the tops for decoration. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until fully set before serving.

Recipe Tips

Grate the apples, don’t chop them. Grated apple cooks faster and creates a more even layer in the glass. Chopped pieces take longer to soften and leave awkward lumps at the bottom.

Add the mastic to hot liquid only. Mastic resin won’t dissolve in cold or warm milk. It needs to hit the bubbling custard to melt and distribute evenly. Drop it in when the pudding starts to boil and stir well.

Cool the pudding before adding the cream. Hot pudding will melt the cream and you’ll end up with a thin, runny custard instead of a thick, airy layer. Room temperature is what you need before whisking.

Add walnuts off the heat. Cooking walnuts in the apple mixture softens them and they lose their crunch. Stir them in once the apple is off the hob so they stay firm in the finished dessert.

What To Serve With Apple Mastic Pudding

These are a complete dessert on their own. A cup of Turkish coffee or tea alongside is all they need.

For a dinner party, serve the glasses on a small plate with a thin biscuit on the side. They look impressive and guests can pace themselves between the rich layers.

How To Store Apple Mastic Pudding

Fridge

Store assembled glasses covered with clingfilm in the fridge for up to 2 days. The biscuit layer softens after the first day but the flavour improves as the apple and pudding meld together.

Reheat

Not applicable. This is a cold dessert.

Freeze

Do not freeze. The custard separates when thawed and the biscuit layer turns soggy. The apple layer can be frozen on its own for up to 1 month and thawed for future batches.

Apple Mastic Pudding Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 6): Calories: 420kcal, Protein: 7g, Fat: 22g, Carbohydrates: 50g, Sugar: 35g, Sodium: 110mg. Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

FAQs

What is mastic resin and where can I buy it for this apple mastic pudding?

Mastic is a natural tree resin from the Greek island of Chios. It adds a piney, slightly floral flavour and a subtle chewiness to custards. Find it in Middle Eastern grocery shops or online. It comes in small translucent pieces.

Can I skip the mastic?

Yes, the pudding still works as a vanilla custard without it. The texture and flavour will be simpler but it won’t ruin the dessert.

Can I use cooking apples instead of eating apples?

Cooking apples break down faster and turn to mush more easily. If you use them, reduce the cooking time to 3-4 minutes and keep the pieces slightly firmer. Eating apples hold their shape better.