Andrea’s Steamed Ginger Pudding

My very clever but very modest best friend made this for us last night.  It’s totally delicious.

175g soft butter

175g self-raising flour

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs

3-4 tablespoons milk

stem ginger in syrup

150g golden syrup

Put the kettle on to boil and butter a pudding bowl.  A bowl which is purpose built with its own lid is handy here.

Put the first five ingredients plus four balls of stem ginger into the food processor and whoosh up until smooth.  Add a little more milk if necessary to make it a pourable mixture.

Put the boiling water into a large, lidded saucepan and turn on the heat.

Put about 50g stem ginger syrup plus 150g golden syrup into the bottom of the pudding bowl.  Pour the sponge mixture over the syrups.  Put the buttered lid on top, then pop it into the pan of hot water.  Keep it boiling, but not ferociously and keep the pan lid on.  Keep topping up the hot water; it should more than half fill the pan.

Let it cook for at least two hours.  Serve with cream or custard.

 

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Nigella’s Gooey Chocolate Puddings

Nigella’s recipe from “How to Eat” is one of those recipes you can rustle up from nothing, as long as you have a well-stocked chocolate cupboard.  It’s the easiest, most forgiving and undeservingly impressive dinner party pud ever.  You can mix it all up hours before and leave it in the bowl until you’re ready to bake and serve.  You can even put the mixture into ramekins, uncooked, and freeze until you want them.  Defrost for a couple of hours before baking.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and grease 4-5 ramekins with butter.  Melt 125g good dark chocolate and 125g butter in the microwave.  About a minute to 90 seconds should do it, but pause and check often.  Stir gently until smooth and beautiful.

In a separate bowl, whisk 150g golden caster sugar with 3 large eggs.

Combine the 2 bowls, beat together and then stir in 35g plain flour, a tiny amount.

When you’ve finished your main course and you feel like you could eat again, divide the mixture into 4-5 ramekins and bake hot for 8-10 minutes until they are well risen and cracked on top.  Serve with sprinkled icing sugar and single cream.

Adapted very slightly from Nigella Lawson “How to Eat.”

Scott’s Chocolate cake

OK!  And the first person to step up to the Guest Spot is Scott Everett from Australia with his wonderful-looking chocolate cake…

Ingredients
250g butter, chopped
150g dark eating chocolate, chopped (I use 70% cocoa solids)
2 cups (440g) caster sugar
1 cup (250ml) hot water
1/3 cup (80ml) coffee flavoured liqueur (Baileys)
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder
2 eggs beaten lightly

Preheat the oven to 170degrees celcius (gas mark 3). Grease a deep 20 cm round cake pan, base and sides with baking (grease proof) paper.
Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, the water, Baileys and coffee powder in medium saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, stir over a low heat until the chocolate melts
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, the cool for 15 minutes. Whisk in the sifted flour and cocoa powder, then the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake in oven, preheated to 170 degrees, for about 1 1/2 hours. Keep the cake in the pan for 30mins before turning onto a wire rack. Turn the cake topside up to cool.

Tips
Any coffee or chocolate flavoured liqueur (Tia Maria, Kahlua or Creme de Cacao) can be used.
Cover the cake loosely with foil or a brown paper bag about halfway through baking if the top starts to over-brown.
The cake will keep for one week if kept in an airtight container.
It is very nice with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Jen’s Tips
It’s pretty important to get the temperature of the oven right.
I always cover the cake with brown paper halfway through even if it’s not over browning.
When you take it out of the oven stand it on a wire rack. This helps the top not to crack too much.