Food_Heaven_-_November_2019

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62 baking heaven NOVEMBER WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM

Autumn

pudding

SERVES 4-6

150g (5oz) plums, quartered

and stoned

100g (3½oz) caster sugar

180g (6oz) raspberries

130g (4½oz) redcurrants

6-8 slices of good white bread,

crusts removed

double cream, to serve

1 Put the plums and sugar into a large

pan and cook over a gentle heat for

Sussex pond

pudding

SERVES 4-6

120g (4oz) self-raising flour,

plus more for rolling

100g (3½oz) shredded suet

a pinch of salt

120ml (4fl oz) milk

100g (3½oz) diced cold

butter, plus more for greasing

100g (3½oz) soft light brown sugar

1 unwaxed lemon, slashed a few

times with a sharp knife (see Tip)

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas

Mark 4. Grease a 1ltr (1¾pt) pudding

basin with butter and line with

baking parchment.

2 Stir the flour, suet and salt together in

a large bowl. Mix in the milk and

carefully bring together into a dough

firm enough to roll out to line the

pudding basin. Don’t overmix, and add a

little flour if the dough seems too wet.

3 Roll the dough out on a lightly floured

surface until just large enough to line

the basin. Cut out one quarter as a

wedge and reserve as the lid. Line the

basin with the largest piece of pastry,

sealing the joins by slightly overlapping,

wetting a little and pressing together.

4 Mix the butter and sugar together,

leaving the butter cubes intact and put

half inside the pastry. Place the slashed

lemon on top and bury in the remaining

sugar and butter.

5 Roll out the remaining pastry to

make a lid, wet the edge of the pastry in

the basin a little and press the lid on to

seal. Cover the pudding with pleated

foil or baking parchment and secure

with string.

6 Bring a large ovenproof pan of water

to the boil and lower the pudding basin

into it; the water should come halfway

up the side. Cover and place in the

oven to steam for about 4 hours – the

surface of the pudding should be golden

brown. If the water level falls too low,

add more boiling water.

7 Allow the pudding to rest for

5 minutes, then carefully lift out of the

pan and remove the paper or foil. Turn

the pudding out onto a large lipped plate

or platter (the juices will spill out to form

a ‘pond’ of sauce). It’s highly likely

that the pudding will partially collapse,

but it’s par t of this pudding's rustic

charm and lovely texture.

TIP A thin-skinned variety of lemon is

best here. Serve the pudding with cold

double cream or hot custard.