TREACLE SPONGE PUDDING

Thursday September 18,2008

Enjoy a nostalgic treat with Ed Baines’ simple recipe for a good, old-fashioned, home-made treacle pudding. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons golden syrup, plus extra for serving
115g plain flour, sifted
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
115g brown sugar
75g margarine
25g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brandy
Clotted cream or custard, for serving

METHOD

1) Generously butter a 900ml pudding basin. Place the buttered pudding basin inside the fridge for five minutes to firm up
the butter.

2) Once cooled, remove from the fridge and add the golden syrup to the base of the basin.

3) In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, baking powder, eggs, brown sugar, margarine, unsalted butter and brandy and mix together thoroughly.

4) Spoon the flour mixture into the basin, over the golden syrup.

5) Take a large piece of tin foil, fold it in half and grease one side thoroughly.

6) Cover the pudding with the greased tin foil, pleating the foil a few times to allow room for the pudding’s expansion.

7) Fasten the foil to the rim of the pudding basin with string.

8) Place the covered pudding basin in a large steamer.

9) Steam over a medium heat for one hour 30 minutes. Make sure that the steamer does not boil dry, topping up with boiling water as needed.

10) Once the pudding is risen and cooked, turn it out from the pudding basin. Serve with golden syrup and clotted cream or custard.