Steamed Summer Berry and Fig Sponge Pudding
Adapted from Indulge by Claire Clark, pg 176
100gms unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
100gms vanilla sugar
150gm flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk (save the whites for macs!!)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup of orange and dried fig conserve
12 small strawberries, whole, hulled
50gms dark chocolate, grated
Method:
Grease a litre pudding basin well with softened butter.
In a large bowl, place the butter, sugar, flour, pinch salt, eggs and yolk and beat for 2-3 minutes till soft and creamy.
Turn the fig conserve in the centre of the pudding basin, line the circumference with whole strawberries facing down. Spoon the pudding batter evenly over this and level. Sprinkle over with grated chocolate.
Cover tightly with a piece of well greased aluminum foil, pleated in the middle, and tie securely around the rim with string.
Take a pressure cooker or large pan with a tight fitting lid (or steamer if you have one), fill it with 3 inches of water, place an old cloth at the bottom, topped with an old plate, and put the pudding basin on top of it.
Steam on simmer for 2 hours, and then takeoff heat. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes till easy enough to handle, and then remove from cooker.
Take off foil, place serving platter over it, and then, holding firmly with both hands, quickly turn it over to invert pudding on platter, and remove the basin.
Serve with Creme Anglaise or a large scoop of clotted cream!
Creme Anglaise
from Indulge by Claire Clark
1 vanilla pod
125ml low fat cream
125ml milk
3 egg yolks
2 oz Castor sugar
Method:
Slit the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds.
Place cream and milk in a sauce pan, stir in the vanilla seeds and simmer till it comes to a boil.
Place the yolks in a bowl, add sugar and whisk immediately. Gradually pour the boiled milk over this, stirring constantly. Return to the pan and stir continuously over medium heat with a wooden spoon till it begins to thicken. It should get thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Run your finger down the custard n the back of the spoon. the path should remain separated. DO NOT let the sauce come to a boil or it will curdle.
As soon as the sauce thickens, pour it though a sieve into a bowl, and cool the bowl over an ice bath/crushed ice.
Serve hot or cold.
Note: Place the leftover vanilla bean in a jar of granulated sugar to make the most amazing vanilla sugar that you can use in your desserts. It will take approximately 4-5 days to make. Shake the jar once a day.
♥Thank you for stopping by ♥
am sure the orange and dried fig conserve would have been yummy….
love the pictures…
finally you've tipped me over the edge….Steamed Chocolate Pudding & Steamed Apple n Caramel Pudding for Daring Bakers April 2010 – My First Challenge
Thanks so much for everything…
Cheers,
The Variable, Crazy Over Desserts – Nachiketa
Catch me on facebook @ Crazy Over Desserts
This is definitely the most beautiful of the puddings that I have seen so far! You did a ridiculously excellent job, Deeba.
I'd like some of that for dessert NOW! 🙂 Great effort, Deeba.
Certainly the most beautiful pudding I have seen, your photographs are exquisite so pretty and well done that you did this challenge using a brilliant recipe. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.
gorgeous gorgeous pudding deeba! after brooding over this one I found the inspiration to make a light and Spring version!
Wow, the cherry photos are so pretty…making me crave cherries but it's a bit early to get them here in Europe :(Great job!
Beautiful photography and love your writting too. Great site and good job with the challenge!
Deeba need i say how gorgeous the pudding looks and to top it up your photography makes me slurp over my laptop 🙂
Friday night was Deeba's phirni at my home and thank you for making me an instant star with the Phirni..
Ohk..if i do not have vanilla sugar, how do i go around using regular sugar??
Great looking pudding. I am sure it tastes great too.
Now after seeeing fe of the puddings you all made, i think i should have waited as now i get more ideas 🙂
Looks really beautiful. and so fruity.
gorgeous!!!!!!this is art!
Stunning! What a beautifully decorated pudding!
Cheers,
Rosa
Your description of the pudding and the pictures here make me drool more than ever!! I wouldn't mind getting my day's wage in a pudding, never mind my alarming weight matters:-))
It's great to see some spring variations on the classic winter pudding. I did a more traditional one and family happily ate it even though sun was shining! Beautiful presentation Deeba.
That is absolutely stunning (as are your pictures!). It was nice to see the fresh fruit and creme anglaise to accompany the pudding. What a fabulous take on steamed pudding!
Isnt that just lovely!! Well Done!! I didnt have time to make it nor could i find suet…
Your pudding looks stunning, and all of your photographs are amazing. Funny that you said you could have steamed it in the sun… 🙂 You did a truly fantastic job on this challenge.
Very decorated and delicious looking.
Your puddings look great! I've never steamed a pudding, so I'm curious about the process now. The cherries with chocolate pasty cream are giving me cravings!
You take such pretty pictures Deeba. The puddings looks great and that creme anglaise sounds utterly delectable. Go Daring Baker!
Deeba, your pudding is stunning! A masterpiece! Love your blog!
this sound good!
I love puddings like this! Reminds me of home 🙂
Looks gorgeous!
I love Creme Anglaise. So easy to make and adds so much to almost anything one serves it with. I smiled when I read how this opened you to different cultures, as in Canada – huge British influence here in the early days – British suet pudding and Christmas pudding were very common and in almost every household 30 to 40 years ago. As a child, everyone knew what this was – and love it, or hated it. Now, it is always available for purchase in markets at Christmas time, but almost no one makes their own anymore. Love this variation on a steamed pudding.
Thank you for the beautiful images and lovely Spring touch!
🙂
Valerie
One day I would like to come visit and just look at your gorgeous cookbooks and your beautiful baking pans. This is a gorgeous shaped mold and you've styled it so beautifully!
Your pudding looks so pretty Deeba; well done. I just managed to do mine today, forgot about it 🙂
Simple ,elegant and delicious all rolled in one lovely dessert .
i have made steamed egg pudding and this looks similiar to that …will def try it out .
lovely presentation Deeba. and awesome pics.
Your pudding looks gorgeous and perfect for spring/summer. Glad you like our English puds.
Lovely work Deeba, as always and the pictures awesome, beauty,beauty, besoosssss gloria
Well I'm english and I know my pudings! I can happily confirm that your pud passes muster with me. Seriously good owrk!
Beautiful pudding!
Your photos are beautiful! And the varieties you made sound delicious. Great job on the challenge!
What a beautiful pudding! And the pictures are stunning, as always!
Yum creme anglaise…….and that with berries and figs!
Your photos are beautiful! The pudding sounds delicious. And you've got me devising a way to create a solar steamer to cook pudding during the summer!
Well done for this month challenge, your pudding look fabulous! Love all of those vibrant color Deeba.
What a beautiful take on this month's challenge! Lovely!
I love how enthusiastic you are about the puds. I would be, too. Indulge is a great book with lots of authentic English desserts.
All I can say is WOW! Your efforts are so impressive Deeba- mine came out yummy but the pics not so great. Loved the challenge though.
Your pud is so beautifully presented, and it sounds luscious!
In Australia a lot of us still have the traditional english pudding even though its summertime.
We have it with custard, fresh cream AND ICE CREAM. Not everyone of course but in this family they like the lot!!!!
What a beautiful pudding! The mini ones served with creme anglaise and cherries sound wonderful too. You are a Daring Steamer indeed!
What a wonderful post. My grandmother use to make a steamed pudding every year for Christmas, but sadly I never learned how to make it before she passed. I need to read your instructions carefully and try to make it. Your presentation as always is beautiful!
How delicious! I love how you've taken the humble pudding and elevated it to such elegant standards. Your challenge entries are always jaw-droppingly beautiful.
I love the little ones too – choc chip puddings with chocolate creme anglaise and cherries sound heavenly. Lovely photos too. 🙂
Hello there! Fabulous job on your puddings. Your photography and presentation are particularly beautiful!
Fruity pudding looks so delicious.. spring is in ur pudding now… This is my First challenge and its really fun.
Pavithra
http://www.dishesfrommykitchen.com
What a lovely pudding! So pretty in the fluted pan as well.
Wow Deeba. This is the most beautiful one I've seen so far. Well done.
Thank you so much for joining in and I am still in love with the way your pudding looks! If I ever host an Edwardian dinner party i think I should get you over here to help as you have a wonderful flair for such things !
zomg cherries!! I love it, wonderful job.. and I am so gonna have to try to make a cherry pudding. My entire kitchen is all cherries!
That's a fabulous pudding!
Did the cream anglaise taste eggy?
What an elegant and tasty looking pud!
Wow all these puddings from this contest look so good. Your's certainly comes in topping the list for wow factor though! Still, suet in a pudding….I dunno..
Hi Deeba, I saw your pudding in the DB blog, I loved the look of it!!, you are an presenter and photographer, I will definitely try this, it looks so Gorgeous, I fell in love with it!!, what more I love figs too!!
you've got such an elegant looking pudding!:)
Beautiful, probably the most beautiful pudding of this DB challenge round. I love the photos!
This looks delicious and your photos are gorgeous!
Your summer berry pudding looks so good! Excellent job!
Great job with the pudding! Love the addition of dried figs!!
Oooo, your pudding looks so regal! I love the way you've decorated it. Way to go on this month's challenge, and keep up the amazing bakes 🙂
Yours is beatiful, as usual. You take the best photos!
I have been admiring your pudding since I saw it in the Forum for the first time… Beautiful!!
Sawadee from Bangkok,
Kris
Looks lovely Deeba!! This challenge was so great!!
Ciao ! I love your Pudding ! The beautiful figs and all ! I admired everithing !!
So beautiful Deeba – I love what you did with this challenge. I wish mine were half as elegant looking though the looks on my little chefs' faces were priceless 😉
this looks so yummmyyyyy!!! great job deeba 🙂 as usual!
I never had one like that before, but I know that I want one now!
I love the use of a pressure cooker! I’d like to try one for next year, though the English make it about a month before Christmas and seoson it with liquor for about a month before eating! So, I guess I can start trying in September to see if it is something worthy of publishing!
Fantastic photos and recipes, glad to have found you on FoodBuzz!
L