marmalade steamed puddings

just like my mum used to make :)

What I’m reading: I haven’t been reading much this week, mainly because I’ve been devouring Adolescence on Netflix. A fairly tough watch, but very impressive

What I’m listening to: Nick Cave on Desert Island Discs - a very good recommendation from my dad

What I’m eating: I went back to Crisp pizza (below), and it was just perfect

I had a lot of fun creating this recipe, as I have strong nostalgic associations with steamed pudding, but it needed to be adapted to fit service requirements. My mum’s side of the family are known for their steamed pudding: I believe it’s originally a Delia Smith recipe (which you can find here), and I reckon we had it at least once a week when I was growing up. We would always have the treacle/golden syrup version, just like in the recipe linked above. It’s a pretty straightforward sponge recipe (with the addition of black treacle), but some wonderful alchemy takes place during steaming where the sponge becomes even more moist and bouncy than a regular baked sponge. The texture is almost comparable to a steamed bun (think bao), and it’s somehow simultaneously light and rich.

In the original recipe, you butter the pudding bowl and put a few tablespoonfuls of golden syrup at the bottom, which meld with the sponge as it steams, creating this beautiful golden halo once it’s turned out onto a plate.

For my version, I wanted to use some of the stash of Seville orange marmalade that I made in January during the fleeting marmalade orange season. I did that classic thing of fully believing that I had made a year’s supply, but alas, we are almost out. I do, however, think that this is the perfect use for a homemade marmalade or jam, so use whatever you have in the cupboard - or opt for the traditional golden syrup version which is also perfect in its simplicity.

I also opted for individual-sized portions here, as it’s much easier during service, and although the original full-sized pudding is charming, it’s certainly not a looker once it’s been cut into slices. We’ve been steaming them in the combi oven at 115C in Yorkshire pudding moulds (something like this), but you can steam them in a large pot filled halfway up with water and with a lid on. Similarly, we just cover them with a little lid of tinfoil, but I think if you’re going for the full-sized version, you should put some baking paper directly on top, then cover with a tea towel tied with string. Bear in mind the big pudding will take a lot longer to steam than the individual ones.

These are best served fresh: just allow a couple of minutes to cool down, then flip out onto a board and serve each pudding with a generous serving of double cream.

recipe: marmalade steamed puddings