Orange Steamed English Pudding With Rum Butter Recipes

STICKY DATE & RAISIN PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the dates, raisins, milk and brandy or rum in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins until the fruit is soft and the liquid has been absorbed - don't worry if it looks a little curdled. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, generously butter a 1.2-litre pudding basin.
• To prepare your steamer, place a snugly fitting upturned bowl or saucer in the base of a large, deep saucepan, big enough to hold your pudding basin. Cut out a large circle of baking parchment and one of foil, both 5cm wider than the rim of your pudding basin. Make a sharp pleat down the centre of both, then butter one side of the parchment - this will be your lid. Set aside. Boil the kettle for the steamer.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating again until well combined. Finally, add the flour, mixed spice, orange zest, date mixture and a pinch of salt, and stir everything well with a spatula until there are no visible lumps of flour. Tip the cake mixture into your pudding basin. Cover the bowl with the parchment, butter-side down and pleat on top, then the foil. Push the sides of the lid down, then tie a piece of string securely under the lip of the basin. Use any overhanging string to create a handle to help you lift the pudding.
• Stand the pudding basin on top of the upturned bowl or saucer in the saucepan and fill the pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover the pan with a lid and leave to steam for 2½ hrs, topping up with boiling water if the level gets low. Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre. If the skewer has any uncooked mixture on it, return it to the pan to steam for another 15 mins, then check again. Once cooked, you can cover the pudding with clean baking parchment and foil and keep for up to a week. Re-steam the pudding for 1 hr before serving.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH CUMBERLAND RUM BUTTER

Steps:

• Put the butter in a warmed bowl and cream it, either with a wooden spoon or an electric beater or handheld mixer.
• Tip in the sugar and rum and mix everything together.
• Grate in nutmeg to taste, (or mixed spice) and mix again.
• Place in a bowl, an earthenware bowl is traditional, then chill until required.
• Serve with mince pies, Christmas pudding, sweet tarts and pies, sweet biscuits, oatcakes, scones, crumpets, muffins or on toast.

STEAMED ORANGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Stir together baking soda and orange juice.
• Toss raisins with flour.
• Beat together butter, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add orange juice, raisins, marmalade, and bread crumbs and mix at low speed until blended. Spoon batter into lightly buttered mold.
• Cover mold with a sheet of foil and secure it tightly with kitchen string (if mold has a lid, use that instead). Put mold on a metal rack in a deep pot. Add enough boiling-hot water to pot to reach halfway up mold, then cover pot and steam pudding in simmering water, adding more boiling water as needed, until surface of pudding feels dry and firm, about 2 hours. Cool on another rack 5 minutes. Loosen edge of pudding with a thin knife and invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm.
• Available at A Cook's Wares (800-915-9788).

STEAMED ORANGE PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Grease 6 3/4 cup size (185ml) dariole moulds - grease well and then blot with kitchen paper or you can spray with oil and blot with kitchen paper.
• Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale.
• Sift flour and baking power, then add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
• Add milk and then beat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is light and combined.
• Divide mixture among greased moulds.
• Cut 6 x15cm squares of baking paper and foil.
• Place the paper on the foil and fold to form a pleat in the centre and place over the moulds, foil side up and then tie with kitchen string to secure.
• Place the moulds in a large baking dish and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the moulds.
• Cover the pan, then boil for 40 minute, keeping an eye that the liquid does not boil out, until pudding are firm or alternatively as we did in class we put the baking tray in a 175C preheated oven and baked the puddings in their water bath for about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile for the sauce, place the juice and sugar in a pan with 100ml of cold water and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Add orange slices and grand marnier if using, then simmer, stirring occassionally, for 45 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and reduced.
• Allow the pudding to stand in the moulds for 5 minutes, then invert onto plates and pour over the sauce and serve drizzled with custard or cream.

CUMBERLAND RUM BUTTER

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until really soft.
• Add all the spices (don't overdo it!).
• Beat in the rum gradually, then place in glass dish and refrigerate.
• Serve on toast, with Christmas Pudding, Mince Pies or Jacobs Cream Crackers.