Wed, 16 December 2015
With Christmas around the corner many people will be getting ready to make traditional plum puddings. But what about those people out there that don't like Plum pudding? Well don't worry, we've an alternative chocolate pudding, and continuing her festive baking series is the one and only, Catherine Leyden.
Ingredients
225g/8oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour
175g/6oz Butter (at room temperature)
175g/6oz Shamrock Light Muscovado Sugar
4 Large Eggs
275g/10oz Shamrock Raisins
275g/10oz Shamrock Sultanas
100g tub Shamrock Cherries
100g tub Shamrock Mixed Peel
100g packet Shamrock Chopped Almonds
100g packet Shamrock Ground Almonds
Rind of 1 Lemon
Rind of 1 Orange
½ teaspoon Goodall's Mixed Spice
½ teaspoon Goodall's Nutmeg
2 tablespoons Whiskey
Method
1.Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Butter and line the base of a 900ml / 1 ½ pint pudding bowl with a circle of greaseproof paper or butter wrapper.
2.Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time (add a spoonful of flour if the mixture begins to curdle).
3.Sift together the flour and cocoa powder and fold into the mixture with the melted chocolate, chopped pecans and milk.
4.Spoon the mixture into the bowl and cover with a round of greased and pleated greaseproof paper tied securely with fine string. Cover with pleated foil.
5.Steam for 1 ½ hours (see directions below) until the pudding is risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the sponge comes out clean.
6.For the chocolate sauce, place all the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water and leave until melted. Remove from the heat and stir to make a smooth sauce.
7.Turn the pudding out onto a plate, while warm. Pour over some of the chocolate sauce and serve the remaining sauce on the side. Enjoy!
To Steam
Put two long strips of tin foil cross-wise on work top.
Place roasting tin on foil. Sit pudding bowl into the tin and fill with boiling water to within 2cms/1″ of top of tin.
Then bring tin foil around to form a parcel, gathering at top and secure with string, which should be airtight to prevent any steam escaping.
Place in the preheated oven for time stated above. There is no need to top up with water during cooking.
