As-you-like-it steamed pudding

• butter↗

  for greasing

• custard

  to serve (optional)

• jam↗4 tbsp tbsp

  (we used strawberry), marmalade, curd, golden syrup or chopped stem ginger (or 200g/7oz canned fruit, drained and roughl…

• 175g/ 6oz butter g

  softened

• 175g/ 6oz caster sugar g
• eggs↗3
• 175g/ 6oz self-raising flour g
• milk↗1 tbsp tbsp
• vanilla extract↗1 tsp tsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Generously grease a 1.2-litre pudding basin and put your chosen topping in the base. Boil a kettle of water. To prepare your steamer, put a snugly fitting upturned bowl in the base of a large, deep saucepan, big enough to hold the pudding.

2. 2

   Put the ingredients for the sponge in a food processor and blend until smooth (but don’t overwork the mix), then tip into the pudding basin. Cover with a lid made of baking parchment and foil, and tie with string to secure (see step-by-step). Stand the pudding on the upturned bowl in your saucepan. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the pudding basin. Set over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to steam for 2½ hrs, topping up with boiling water if the level gets too low.

3. 3

   Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer through the foil and parchment lid into the centre of the pudding. If the skewer still has some wet mixture on it, return the pudding to the steamer for a further 15-20 mins, then check again. Once cooked, uncover and turn the pudding onto a plate. Serve straight away with custard, if you like.