In all my holiday relaxation glory I forgot to mention the steam pudding I made. I must admit I was a bit anxious at pulling this dessert off. As far as first time deserts go this was definitely a hit. As you can see all went well. With some minor adjustments and a few simple additions this mighty little dessert captivated the dinner table. All eyes fixated on it's golden glow. I let my husband do the honours at serving all those who waited patiently. Through my relief I too was in complete awe.
When one thinks of steam pudding the thoughts of a heavy sticky stodgy mass come to mind. However even though this pudding was dense, the texture was airy and it was not too sweet.
Sponge Steam Pudding - from the Lyle's Golden Syrup Cookbook
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75g softened unsalted butter, plus a little for greasing
75g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
100g self rising flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon milk
For the sauce: 3 tablespoons of golden syrup
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
*Note: I had used dark brown sugar... almost Demerara. I found that I need to a a bit more milk to get the batter to a dropping consistence. Because of this I add a few splashes at a time until I felt the batter was right.
Butter the inside of a 1 pint pudding basin.
*Note: Even though it was not suggested I cut some glacé cherries and placed them at the bottom of the buttered bowl. Then I grated orange rind over the buttered bowl. By doing this the orange rind stuck to the sides and bottom giving the steam pudding a fragrant and zesty taste.
Take a large mixing bowl and beat together the butter and the sugar until it is really soft and light. An electric whisk is ideal for this. Gradually add the beaten eggs, sieve in the flour and baking powder and finally the milk. Beat the mixture until well until it is thoroughly blended and you have a dropping consistency. Pour the mixture into the basin, making a nice level surface with the back of a spoon.
Line a sheet of greaseproof paper... parchment paper will do, and fold to make a pleat in the centre - this will allow for expansion as the pudding rises. Cover the basin with the lined foil and wrap around the rim firmly. Then tie round with a piece of string to secure the foil in place. Stand the basin in a steamer or a pan of simmering water, put the lid on the pan and steam for 1 1/2 hours, keeping an eye on the water level and topping up with boiling water as necessary.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small pan and heat gently. When the pudding is cooked, remove from the pan, unwrap and ease the edges of the pudding away from the basin with a palette knife. Turn out onto a warmed plate and spoon over loads of the golden syrup, which will soak into the sponge. Finally pour the warm orange syrup over the pudding and serve.
Have a great weekend everyone! - JW