It's hard to say no to a traditional pudding, writes Hugo Arnold.
They may be old-fashioned, but I find steamed puddings hard to resist. Their wobbly domes might contain chocolate, ginger or a mixture of fruit and nuts - dates and almonds are my current favourite. Sticky toffee, its caramelised sweetness taken almost to the point of bitterness, cannot be ignored, either.
Lightness is all in a good pudding. It is meant to sing, not sink, so avoid a heavy hand. Whoever thought air was such a crucial ingredient? Not me until, the other day, one of mine came out like a rock. Even the dog declined to eat it.
A chocolate pudding was put in front of me recently, looking just like one I'd cooked a few days earlier. But when I put in my spoon, the centre turned out to be not sponge but a molten mass of gooey chocolate. It was a surprise, two puddings in one.
Like most men, I am not a good multitasker, so if we are going to have pudding, everything else has to be pretty simple. No starter, a simple roast or grill, and then it's straight on to the serious business.
My son frequently wonders why we
bother with the befores, suggesting that
lots of afters would suit him fine. Secretly, I'm inclined to agree. Pass the cream.
Recipes serve 4
INDIVIDUAL SPONGE PUDDINGS
2 tbsp golden syrup
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
100g butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g self-raising flour
pinch baking powder
milk
Combine the syrup, lemon juice and breadcrumbs. Spoon into four buttered dariole moulds. (Run your spoon under hot water before dipping it in the syrup.) Sticky fingers are inevitable.
Cream the butter with the lemon zest and sugar until it is pale. Beat in the eggs. Stir in the flour and baking powder and add just enough milk so the mixture just falls off the spoon. Divide the mixture between the dariole moulds and sit them in a roasting tin. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the moulds, then cover the tray with foil and bake in a pre-heated oven, at 150 degrees/gas three, for an hour. Serve with cream and more syrup.
WARM PEAR CAKE
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
2 tins pear halves
50g butter
150g sugar
1 egg
200ml full-fat milk
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
Cream the brown sugar and three tablespoons of butter together until smooth, then spread out in a shallow ovenproof bowl. Arrange the pear halves on top. Cream the remaining butter and sugar together, then beat in the egg, milk, flour and baking powder. Pour over the pears and bake in a preheated oven, at 180 degrees/gas four, for an hour. Turn out while hot; serve with cream.
CARDAMOM RICE PUDDING WITH ORANGE SALAD
6 cardamom pods
50g risotto rice
500ml full-fat milk
50g light brown sugar
2 oranges
2 tbsp honey
100ml double cream
Heat the oven to 180 degrees/gas four. Split three of the cardamom pods; extract the seeds; discard the pods. Grind the seeds to a powder. Combine the cardamom, rice, milk and sugar in a saucepan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring all the time, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Pour into an ovenproof dish and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until tender.
Drop the oranges into boiling water, leave them for a minute, then remove and peel them. Cut into slices. Smash the remaining cardamom pods and add to the honey in a small saucepan, along with two tablespoons of water. Bring to the boil and reduce to a syrup; about 10 minutes. Strain this over the oranges, toss gently and set aside.
Remove the rice pudding from the oven, allow it to cool for 10 minutes and stir in the cream. Serve with the orange salad.