Warming winter puddings

Angela Day prepares five comforting winter puddings that will brighten up the end of any meal.

GOLDEN SYRUP PUDDING

125ml golden syrup

125g butter

125ml castor sugar

2 eggs

5ml vanilla essence

250ml cake flour

5ml baking powder

60ml milk

Pour the syrup into the base of a small ovenproof baking dish.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Sift flour and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture with the milk to form a batter.

Spoon over the syrup. Bake at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the mixture comes out clean.

Serve warm with custard or cream.

Serves 4.

* Vary the flavour by using different flavoured syrups.

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STEAMED RHUBARB PUDDING

RHUBARB

250g rhubarb, cut into 2cm lengths

60ml castor sugar

50ml orange juice

10ml grenadine

BATTER

125 butter

160ml castor sugar

4ml vanilla essence

4 eggs

430ml self-raising flour

30ml orange juice

grated rind of 1 orange

RHUBARB: Combine the rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and grenadine in a saucepan and simmer gently until the rhubarb is soft.

Remove and cool. Divide the rhubarb between 6 greased ramekins.

BATTER: Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Stir in the flour, orange juice and rind and mix to form a batter.

Divide the batter between the ramekins. Tightly secure a pleated disc of non-stick baking paper over each ramekin with string.

Place the ramekins into a roasting pan lined with a tea towel. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up the ramekins. Seal the roasting pan with foil and cook at 180ºC for 30 minutes.

Remove and turn out onto serving plates. Drizzle with any remaining sauce from poaching the rhubarb.

Makes 6.

* Because the rhubarb is not very red, poaching it in the grenadine helps improve the colour. Grenadine is a red syrup flavoured with pomegranate.

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RUM & RAISIN CHOCOLATE PUDDING

250ml self-raising flour

160ml castor sugar

60ml cocoa powder

80ml milk

1 egg, beaten

60g butter, melted

125ml raisins

125ml chocolate chips

250ml boiling water

80ml rum

125ml castor sugar

15ml cocoa powder

Sift the flour, castor sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl.

Combine the milk, egg and melted butter and stir into the flour to form a batter.

Mix in the raisins and chocolate chips.

Spoon the mixture into a greased ovenproof baking dish.

Combine the boiling water, rum, castor sugar and cocoa powder and mix well.

Carefully pour this over the batter and bake at 180ºC for 35-40 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

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PEAR AND GINGER SLICE WITH CUSTARD

2 pears peeled, cored and sliced lengthwise into 1cm thick slices

125g butter

180ml brown sugar

80ml golden syrup

2 eggs, beaten

500ml flour

5ml baking powder

2ml bicarbonate of soda

5ml ground ginger

5ml ground cinnamon

5ml mixed spice

125ml milk

60g glacé ginger, finely chopped

SYRUP

250ml water

125ml castor sugar

1x 2cm knob of glacé ginger, sliced

custard for serving

Arrange the slices of pear on the base of a 22cm spring form pan that has been lined with non-stick baking paper.

Cream the butter, sugar and syrup until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and beat well.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices and add to the creamed mixture with the milk to form a thick batter.

Stir in the chopped glacé ginger.

Spread the batter over the pears and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven.

Turn out the cake, keeping the pears on top and pour over the syrup. Serve warm with custard.

SYRUP: Combine the water, castor sugar and ginger in a small pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.

Remove the ginger. Pour over the hot cake.

Serves 8-10.

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GOOSEBERRY AND ALMOND CRUMBLE

250ml flour

250ml ground almonds

180ml castor sugar

250g butter, cubed

500g fresh gooseberries

60ml extra castor sugar

50g flaked almonds

cream for serving

Combine the flour, almonds and castor sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it in until the mixture is crumbly.

Press two-thirds of the mixture into the base of a 25x18cm pan.

Sprinkle over most of the gooseberries, reserving a handful for serving. Sprinkle the gooseberries with castor sugar.

Add flaked almonds to the reserved crumble and scatter in the pan over the gooseberries. Bake at 180ºC for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Cut into squares and serve with cream and reserved gooseberries.

Serves 4-6.