STEAMED PUDDINGS— Sweet and Savoury

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 732, 24 July 1953, Page 22

STEAMED PUDDINGS— Sweet and Savoury

| HIS is the time of the year | when steamed puddings are appreciated, whether meat or fruit or jam or golden syrup. They must be very light, however, and not soggy and heavy. The secret is to have the water boiling when the pudding is put in, and then kept stead ily boiling. The young housewife must be sure to watch that the saucepan does not "boil dry," so have a well-fitting lid, and listen sometimes to see if there is any water still there. Don’t lift the lid often, or steam will escape; and | find it better to cover the pudding with a greased paper (perhaps a butter-paper? than to tie it down with a cloth. Those who use pressure saucepans will find directions for time, etc., in their instruction book. For ordinary saucepans, an average pudding takes about 212 to 3 hours, or longer if a rich plum pudding. The average steamed pudding has a suet-crust, though some people prefer butter for sweet puddings. But modern shredded suet bought in packets is so very much finer than the old-fashioned chopped by hand, or even minced suet, and so free from the disadvantages of dripping, that it is in universal use. It is also easily incorporated and digested. The usual proportion is half as much suet as flour; the addition of a few breadcrumbs makes a lighter crust. Sift the flour with the baking powder and the inevitable pinch of salt. Steak and Kidney Pudding (For Young Housewives) One and a half pounds steak, 3 or 4 sheeps’ kidneys, 2 lb. shredded suet, 3% Ib. flour, 1% Ib. soft breadcrumbs, a teaspoon baking powder, a small onion, pepper and salt. Make the pastry with the flour, breadcrumbs, baking powder and a teaspoon of salt, mixed with about a cup of water. Roll out and line a greased pudding basin with it, saving enough for a lid. Have the steak and kidney trimmed and cut up into small ‘pieces, and dredged with seasoned flour ‘(2 tablespoons flour, 2 teaspoons salt, a small teaspoon pepper). ut up the onion finely. Fill the lined basin with the meat and onion, and pour in % cup of cold water. Put on the pastry cover, wetting the edges with water and pinching them together, Cover with ‘a

greased paper and plunge into saucepan of boiling water, which should reach

about 2-3rd way up the basin, Put the well-fitting saucepan lid on, and keep boiling for 3 hours. May be served from basin, or turned out by placing a hot dish over the basin and then inverting, and after a minute or two drawing off the basin. Have a jug of boiling water ready for pouring in to augment the gravy if necessary. A few mushrooms added (or substituted for the kidney) make a nice variety. Special Meat Pudding (Auckland) Line basin with good suet crust. Put in thick layer of minced steak, then some sliced fried onion, 2 slices bacon cut up, a layer of tomato slices and a ae nets i

little gravy. Season and put on a little layer of crust. Repeat all this and finish with pastry lid. Put greased paper on top and steam about 31% hours, Mince Pudding (from a Bachelor) Mince 1 lb. lean topside finely, mix with 4% Ib, flour, seasoning to taste, %4 lb. shredded suet and an egg to bind. Line basin with this, fill centre with finely chopped raw vegetables such as carrots, turnips, potatoes, frozen’ peas, etc. Cover with white sauce, put on mincemeat mixture ‘lid, cover with greased paper, steam 142 to 2 hours. Turn on to dish, serve with rich white sauce. Toffee Apple Pudding Half a pound of flour, 5 oz. shredded suet, 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, water to mix into a light dough, Roll out thin. For the toffee, mix together 2 oz. butter and 2 oz. brown sugar, and cover carefully the bottom

SPECIAL Marmalade from L.B., Te Aroha Five grapefruit, 1 lemon. To each pound of cut-up fruit add 3 pints of water, Stand all. night. Boil next day till soft. To each cup of pulp add 1% cups sugar. Boil quickly about 1 hour, or un til a little tried on a saucer will jell. Even one cup sugar to 1 cup pulp jells well. eel

and sides of a piedish. Then line the dish with half of the thinly rolled suet crust, and pile in plenty of sliced apples. Sprinkle with brown sugarabout 6 teaspoonfuls. Cover over with the remaining crust, and bake in a hot oven-about 114% hours, or till done. This pudding may be served from the piedish, or turned out on to a separate dish, when the rich sauce will be seen to coyer it. Overnight Pudding | One heaped cup flour..1 heaped cup currants, raisins and sultanas, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 egg, 1 large cup boiling water, pinch salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon mixed spice. Melt butter in the boiling water. Mix all together, Leave all night. Steam 3 hours. Egg may be omitted. Sago Fruit Pudding Soak 1 cup sago in 114° cups milk, and leave overnight. Add 1 cup of. sugar, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup raisins, piece of butter the size of an egg (melt the butter), and 4% teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix all together and steam 3 hours. Easy Pudding This is cooked in basin it is mixed in. Half cup chopped dates, % cup chopped sultanas or peel, or anything liked, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1. tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, | 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1% cup boiling | water, 1 cup flour. Put fruit in basin, add butter, sugar and boiling water. Sift in flour, baking soda, etc, Mix all | together. Cover with butter paper, and | do not tie down. Cook in same basin’ 14% hours. Fig Pudding Four ounces flour, 4 oz. shredged suet, 4 oz. breadcrumbs, 4 oz. sugar, 3% lb. figs (or % 1b. each figs and dates), 1 large apple, 1 teaspoon baking powder, milk to mix. Chop up figs and apple s Mix as usual and moisten with Ik. Steam 2% hours,