Ginger Cherry Steamed Pudding With Sherry Hard Sauce Recipes

GINGER CHERRY STEAMED PUDDING WITH SHERRY HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• For the pudding, butter a 2-quart souffle dish with a tightly fitting lid. Have ready a pot with a lid, large enough to hold the covered souffle dish and a rack that will fit in the bottom of the pot to allow water to circulate freely under the dish. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
• Meanwhile place the butter and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until well blended. Whisk in the eggs. Gradually whisk in the molasses and the milk. Stir together the flour, ginger, soda and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the liquid. Stir in the cherries and raisins. Scrape the batter into the buttered dish and smooth the top.
• Place the rack in the bottom of the pot. Cover the souffle dish and place it in the pot. Pour in enough of the boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the souffle dish. Cover the pot. Check occasionally to make sure there is enough water and that it is simmering; add boiling water to the pot if necessary. Steam the pudding until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile to make the hard sauce, stir together the butter, sugar and salt until smooth. Slowly stir in the sherry. Chill, but do not allow to become too firm. Carefully remove the pudding from the pot and place on a rack. Uncover and let stand for 10 minutes. Use a small, sharp knife to loosen the pudding from the sides of the dish and unmold. Cut into wedges and serve warm with the hard sauce.

NANA'S TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS STEAMED PLUM PUDDING WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the molasses, butter, milk, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Next, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions. Toss candied fruit and raisins lightly with flour to prevent sinking and add to batter. Stir in brandy.
• Pour into a greased and sugared steam pudding mold and place on a rack in a large covered pot with water that comes halfway up the sides of the mold. Cover and steam for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure water hasn't boiled out. Let cool for 5 minutes on a rack before turning out. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a sprig of holly and Hard Sauce.
• Beat all ingredients together until very well combined. Serve with pudding.

JAMAICAN GINGER SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Butter a 1.2-litre pudding basin, then press a disc of baking parchment into the base. Heat 4cm water in a heavy-based pan and add a trivet or upturned bowl or saucer to the base.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarb into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and ½ tsp fine salt and stir everything together. Wrap the end of the frozen butter in foil and, holding it by the foil end, coarsely grate the butter into the dry ingredients. Unwrap and discard the foil to grate the last piece. Fold everything together so the butter is evenly distributed. Mix in the stem ginger, eggs, treacle, sugar and milk. Spoon into the pudding basin, leaving a small gap for the sponge to rise, and cover with a disc of parchment. Seal the pudding basin with a tight-fitting lid or a double layer of foil, sealed tightly around the basin and tied with cook's string. Set on top of the trivet, cover with a lid and steam for 3 hrs, topping up with water so it doesn't boil dry.
• Pour the syrup into a shallow frying pan, bring to the boil and cook until the syrup is turning a deep golden brown. Quickly whisk in the rum and butter, then whisk in the cream and bubble for 2 mins. Gently tip the sponge pudding out of its basin and onto a serving plate. Pour over the rum sauce and serve with thick cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like.