Hot Steamed Puddings

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 939, 9 August 1957, Page 32

Hot Steamed Puddings

N_ winter, healthy hungry families generally look forward to the pudding as the best part of the dinner. It is all very well in summer for father to say, "Just a plain biscuit and cheese," after his first course; but when winter comes he happily joins in with the rest as mother produces plum duff or apple pie. A substantial and sweet pudding rounds off the dinner. Good pudding recipes are collected by housewives, who often have to use up left-overs in a rather ordinary first course, and so need an extra good pudding. This week we will concentrate on steamed puddings, and next week on baked ones. In the meantime you might send in your own special pets, of either kind, to help your fellow home-makers. Overnight Pudding This can be steamed in a basin or boiled* in a cloth. It may be halved for a small family, but it is more economical on fuel to cook the full quantity and just steam up the other half in a basin another day. With a little extra fruit it is often used for a Christmas pudding. Two cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup sultanas, 1 cup currants, 1 oz. butter dissolved in 1 cup hot water, 1 heaped teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 cup cold water, 1 small teaspoon each of spice and nutmeg. Mix all dry ingredients, add butter dissolved in hot water, and also baking soda in cold water. Mix all and stand overnight, next day boil for 4 hours. Another Overnight Pudding One heaped cup flour, 1 heaped cup currants, raisins, sultanas, or some of each, 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. Vegetable Plum Duff One cup grated raw potato, 1 cup grated raw carrot, 1 cup grated raw apple, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup shredded suet, 1 cup flour, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup currants, 1 cup sultanas, 1 cup raisins, a Piece of peel, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, 2 tablespoons sago, 1 well-beaten egg, 1 tablespoon brancy (optional), pinch salt, 1 teaspoon almond essence, milk to mix (or cold tea). Boil 4 hours or longer. Peth Pudding This is an old favourite: 12 cup of sago, % pint milk, 1% cups breadcrumbs, 1 cup sugar (could be halved), 1144 cups any dried fruit (especially raisins), 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in a little warm milk, a little nutmeg, vanilla or lemon essence as desired. Soak sago overnight (or for some hours) in the milk. Mix all ingredients, adding bakin soda last. Steam 3 hours. Bella’s Ginger Pudding Half a cup golden syrup, 3 oz. butter or 4 oz. finely shredded suet, 12 teaspoon baking soca, 1 teaspoon spice (optional), 1 dessertspoon ground ginger, 42 cup milk, 1% cup sultanas, 1 cup flour, pinch salt. Rub butter into flour, ginger, spice and salt which have been sifted together, add sultanas, then syrup warmed. Lastly baking soda dissolved in milk. Beat well together for 2 minutes, then steam in

covered basin 2 hours. Serve with custard sauce. Another Ginger Pudding

One and a half large cups flour, %%4 cup of shredded suet, 1 level teaspoon of spice, 1 small teaspoon baking soda, pinch of salt, 34 small cup of sugar, 2 level teaspoons of ginger, 42 small cup of golden syrup, 1 level teaspoon of baking powder. Beat the shredded suet and sugar to a cream. Heat the golden syrup, add the baking soda, a little milk, and mix with beaten suet and sugar. Mix all the other ingredients together well. The mixture should not be too stiff. Steam about 114 hours and serve with custard] sauce. Jim’s Plum Duff (Eggless) One cup of flour, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, 1 cup of finely shredded suet (bought in packets), 4% cup of sugar, 4 cup of jam (any sort, but plum is nice), 2 cups of mixed fruit (chopped dates, sultanas, currants, peel if liked), and 1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg or ginger (or

both). Mix all with 1 cup of milk in which is dissolved 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Boil or steam in a greased basin 4 to 5 hours-the longer the better. This uses very little gas or electricity, because a tiny flame keeps the water boiling. See that the saucepan-lid fits tightly. Easy Pudding Cooked in basin it is mixed in. Half cup chopped dates, 4% cup chopped sultanas or peel, or anything liked, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 4% 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 11% hours. Cold Tea Pudding : One cup of flour and 1% cup of breadcrumbs (or 114 cups of flour), 12 small’ cup of sugar, 1 small cup of shredded suet, 1 cup of mixed fruit, 1 dessertspoon of dark jam, 1 large teaspoon of baking soda and 1 cup of cold tea. Sift the soda with the flour, and add the other ingredients. Lastly add the cold tea and mix. Boil or steam 212 to 3 hours, or longer if possible. Marguerite Pudding This is my own standby. It never fails and can be varied by putting different kinds of jam, or marmalade, or golden syrup in the bottom of the basin before putting in the sponge mixture: 2 oz. of butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 6 oz. of flour sifted with 1 teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt, 1 egg and about

2 tablespoons of milk. Cream the but- | ter and sugar, add-the flour, etc., then mix in the egg and milk. To make it a chocolate pudding, sift 1 tablespoon of cocoa with the flour and baking powder; and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the creamed fat and sugar; and an extra dessertspoon of milk, as the cocoa makes the mixture a little dry. Spiff Pudding (Chocolate) Eight ounces of sifted flour, 5 oz. of good dripping or butter, 6 oz. of sugar, 1 oz. of cocoa, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, % pint of milk. Rub the fat lightly into the sifted flour and cocoa mixed with the sugar. Bring the milk to the boil, then stir in the baking soda. Pour it at once into the dry ingredients and mix well. Put the mixture into a greased basin and steam 21 hours. Sussex Puddle This is a hot lemon pudding-a real old traditional one. I think honey could be used in place of sugar with very good effect. Line a greased pudding basin with suet crust, reserving enough for a lid.

Prick a ‘large lemon well all over, cover thickly with butter and place it in the lined basin. Completely cover the lemon with sugar (1 or 2 cups) and place on the pastry lid. Tie greaseproof paper over all. Steam at least 2 hours.

NEXT WEEK: Hot Baked Puddings