Ginger Treacle Sponge Food

EASY TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the syrup, lemon zest, juice and breadcrumbs and spread over the base of a 1.5 litre baking dish.
• Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one by one. Stir in the flour and milk and dollop over the syrup. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden and risen, and a skewer poked into the sponge comes out clean-ish. Eat with lots of custard, cream or ice cream and extra dribbles of syrup.

SCHOOLDAYS TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Use a small knob of butter to heavily grease a 1-litre pudding basin. In a small bowl, mix the golden syrup with the breadcrumbs and brandy, if using, then tip into the pudding basin.
• Beat butter with sugar and zest until light and fluffy, then add eggs gradually. Fold in the flour, then finally add the milk.
• Spoon the mix into the pudding basin. Cover with a double layer of buttered foil and baking paper, making a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie the foil securely with string, then place in a steamer or large pan containing enough gently simmering water to come halfway up the sides of the basin. Steam for 1½ hrs. Turn out onto a serving dish. Serve with lashings of clotted cream and a little extra golden syrup drizzled over if you wish.

GUINNESS, TREACLE & GINGER PUDDING

Steps:

• Mix together the dried fruit, ginger, orange zest and juice, and Guinness in a bowl. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
• Grease 2 x 1.2-litre pudding basins. Boil a kettle of water. To prepare your steamers, put a snug-fitting upturned bowl or plate in the base of 2 large, deep saucepans, big enough to hold your pudding basins. Add the remaining ingredients (except brandy) to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour. Divide between your prepared basins and cover with buttered baking parchment and a foil lid. Tie with string to secure and make a handle for easy lifting.
• Stand the puddings on the upturned bowls or plates in your saucepans. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basins, cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 6 hrs, topping up with water if necessary. If your lids start to rattle as the puddings cook, place a couple of heavy cans on top to hold them down. Once cooked, the puddings can mature for up to 1 year in a cool dark place, so if you only eat one this year, that's fine.
• To serve, reheat in a steamer for 1 hr until piping hot all the way through. Flame with brandy, if you like, as you bring it to the table.

HEALTHIER TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush 6 x 200ml pudding tins with the ¼ tsp oil, then sit them on a baking tray. Stir together 4 tbsp of the golden syrup, the orange zest and 2 tbsp orange juice and spoon a little into the bottom of each tin (step 1).
• Tip the flour, baking powder, sugar (breaking up any lumps with your fingers) and ground almonds into a large mixing bowl and make a dip in the centre. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then stir in the yogurt and treacle. Pour this mixture, along with the melted butter and remaining 2 tbsp oil, into the dry mixture (step 2) and stir together briefly with a large metal spoon, just so everything is well combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins (step 3). Bake for 20-25 mins or until the puddings have risen to the top of the tins and feel firm.
• Mix together the remaining 1 tbsp golden syrup and 1 tsp orange juice to drizzle over as a sauce. To serve, if the pudding tops have peaked slightly, slice off to level so they sit upright when turned out. Loosen around the sides with a round-bladed knife (step 4), then turn them out onto plates. Scrape out any syrupy bits remaining in the tins and put on top of the puddings, then drizzle a little of the syrup sauce over and around each one.