Individual Fig Or Apricot Steamed Puddings Food

INDIVIDUAL FIG OR APRICOT STEAMED PUDDINGS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 2 cups figs (or apricots), 1 cup water, and the brandy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes, just until figs are plumped (there should still be 1 cup liquid in the pan). Transfer the mixture, with all the liquid, to a food processor, and process until pureed. Set aside.
• Place remaining figs in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water, and let soak until fruit is plump, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly, and set aside.
• Using a pastry brush, butter eight 2- or 3-cup pudding molds and their lids (or use eight circles of parchment paper cut several inches larger than mold for lids). Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until softened and well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until each is incorporated. Add vanilla and reserved fig purée, and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set the mixer on low speed, and gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with milk, to the fig mixture, in two additions each. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Place jam in a small saucepan, and heat, stirring, over medium heat just until warm. Spoon about 1 tablespoon warm jam into bottom of each pudding mold. Cut the reserved figs in half lengthwise, and arrange 8 to 10 halves cut sides up, on the bottoms of each of the molds, overlapping slightly. (Dried apricots do not need to be cut. Arrange 8 to 10 as above in the bottom of each mold.) Pour 1 cup batter into each mold. Tap molds sharply on counter several times to distribute batter evenly and to eliminate air bubbles. Cover each mold with its lids or parchment paper secured with a rubber band. (If using parchment, place a layer of aluminum foil on top of the paper to prevent water from coming in contact with the puddings.) Puddings may be made up to this point and refrigerated for 1 day. (If refrigerated, leave puddings at room temperature for 1 hour before steaming).
• To steam the puddings, place a 10-inch round rack in the bottom of an 8- to 10-quart stockpot; place three or four molds (depending on the size of the molds, either three or four will fit at one time) on the rack. Remaining puddings may sit at room temperature or be refrigerated for about 45 minutes while others are steaming. (Do not refrigerate puddings the entire steaming time, or they will be too cold to cook properly.) Pour enough boiling water into the pot to reach halfway up the sides of molds. Cover, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, and gently steam puddings until a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean, 2 hours to 2 hours 20 minutes. Transfer molds to a cooling rack; when cool enough to handle, remove lids. Let sit, uncovered, for about 5 minutes for puddings; turn out onto serving plates. Serve warm with chilled brandy sauce.
• To rewarm fig or apricot puddings: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer puddings from refrigerator to a rimmed baking sheet. Keep puddings in molds with their lids. Place in oven. Heat for 40 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into pudding comes out very hot to the touch. Using a pot holder or kitchen towel, carefully unmold puddings onto serving plates. Serve warm with brandy sauce.

AS-YOU-LIKE-IT STEAMED PUDDING

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

STEAMING FIG PUDDING

Steps:

• Firstly you need dried figs that have been soaked (mine were in brandy because I had made fig brandy - http://www.food.com/recipe/fig-brandy-493487 ) you might want to leave yours for a few days in just orange juice or a drink of your choice.
• Use the mixer to stir the flour, suet and sugar together.
• Use the blender to make a purée from the figs.
• Mix the flour and fig purée together.
• Then add the water a little at a time until you get a soft "dough" (you might need a little more or a little less water depending on how wet other ingredients are).
• Butter 8 ramekins/tins/tubs that will hold about a tennis ball size of the mix.
• Fill each ramekin but leave a little space at the top as they will rise up.
• cover with foil and steam for 45 minutes in a double boiler type pan.
• Serve with custard, cream or icecream.
• (note - if you have used brandy soaked ones, don't give them to the children and don't drive !).

INDIVIDUAL APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line six dariole moulds. Roughly chop one-third of the apricots. Halve the remaining apricots.
• Heat the sugar in a saucepan until it begins to caramelise, add the apricot halves and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Set aside to cool.
• For the base, cream the sugar, butter and lemon zest in a bowl until fluffy. Gradually whisk in the eggs, then fold in the flour. Fold in the uncooked chopped apricots.
• Spoon the caramelised apricot halves into the bottom of the dariole moulds, then top with the cake mixture, cover with aluminium foil and transfer to a large baking tray. Fill the baking tray with enough water to come halfway up the moulds (this is called a bain-marie). Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown.
• To serve, mix the apricot brandy and custard together until well combined. Turn one pudding out onto each of six serving plates and serve the custard alongside.

CANADIAN NATIONAL STEAMED APRICOT PUDDING

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, one at a time and blend each in until well mixed. Sift together the flour and the baking powder and add this to the butter-sugar-egg mixture, stirring all the time. Make sure the mixture is uniform. Then add the milk and blend it in well. Finally stir in the apricots. Pour the mixture into a greased pudding mold, put the top on the mold and steam the pudding for two hours. Serve while warm with a sauce of your choice.