Puddings have long brought a sense of comfort, warmth and heartiness. However, the desserts and ingredients we take for granted today weren’t always readily available.

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 8, I attempted to recreate a Baked Jam and Carrot Pudding designed by chef Dan Lepard, who looked into the history and creativity of wartime dishes, making the most of the little they were given. Dan created the pudding recipe while digging into the variety of meals which were created from nothing more than minuscule rations. Dan demonstrated how you can make the most of the limited ingredients people would have at the time.

When speaking to Jill Norman, she revealed that many people were malnourished due to the limited rations available at the time.

While items like eggs, milk and bacon are typically thought when we talk of as rations during World War 2, it was possible to receive a ration of preserves, too. This included jams and marmalade.

Dan described the pudding as a “bit of a treat” as it used the precious ingredients on offer, and oftentimes, fruit wasn’t always guaranteed. And if you were from a city, you probably didn’t come across farms in your everyday life.

It was more likely that you’d come across a small vegetable patch or allotment, where you could grow the likes of carrots or fruit to make into preserves. Muriel Morris Jones, who was just a child during the war, spoke to Dan about her experience picking apples and blackberries during the autumn, which her father made into jam.

All of the ingredients we take for granted these days were seen as a luxury. Hearing the word 'pudding' alongside World War 2 seems a bit unusual, especially with what we know about rationing at that time.

While I may've spread the sponge too thin, the carrot helps to bulk up its volume, even if the grated texture was slightly strange. I’ll admit, the carrot could be a divisive vegetable to use, as it can give a stringy texture you aren’t expecting.

Clearly, veggies have many uses. The pudding champions the simplicity of jam, a luxury in the 1930s and 40s.

Even though the texture was slightly different, it reminded me of a staple steamed jam sponge pudding my mum makes for almost every family gathering. A dish like this would be coveted, you just have to have the creativity to make something out of almost nothing.

This is how you can recreate it at home.

Baked Jam and Carrot Sponge Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tbsp butter
• 1 ½ tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp carrot, grated
• 6 tbsp plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Dash of milk
• Jam

Method

Beat one and a half tablespoons each of butter and sugar together. Stir in three tablespoons of grated carrot, then fold in six tablespoons of plain flour, with half a teaspoon of baking powder.

Finally, a dash of milk to give it a creamy consistency. Butter a small pie dish, spreading half the jam across the bottom.

Then spoon the pudding mixture on top. Bake at 170℃ (fan) in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until cooked.

Just before it's finished, spread the remaining jam over the surface and return to the oven for three to four minutes.