RUM AND RAISIN CHOCOLATE PUDDING
Serves 4-6
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.
GOOSEBERRY AND ALMOND CRUMBLE
Serves 4-6
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.
STEAMED RHUBARB PUDDING
Makes 6
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.
* Because the rhubarb is not very red, poaching it in the grenadine helps improve the colour. Grenadine is a red syrup flavoured with pomegranate.
PEAR AND GINGER SLICE WITH CUSTARD
Serves 8-10
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.
GOLDEN SYRUP PUDDING
Serves 4
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.
* Vary the flavour by using different flavoured syrups. - The Star