Plum And Ginger Pudding Food

OLD-FASHIONED PLUM PUDDING AND HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Generously grease 1-quart mold or ovenproof glass bowl; line with double thickness of cheesecloth.
• Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine flour, ginger, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice; mix well.
• With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add raisins, prunes, almonds and fruit peel; toss until fruit is well coated with flour mixture. Add bread crumbs and brown sugar; mix well. Stir in brandy and eggs; mix well. (Mixture will be very thick and almost crumbly.)
• Spoon mixture into greased and lined mold, packing firmly with back of spoon as mold is filled. Cover tightly with lid or heavy-duty foil; tie foil in place, if necessary.
• Place rack in bottom of Dutch oven or 6-quart saucepan. Add water until it reaches top of rack. Bring to a boil. Set mold on rack; carefully pour hot water around mold until about half way up mold. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover Dutch oven. Simmer 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Add boiling water as needed.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine all hard sauce ingredients; beat until smooth. Line 10-oz. custard cup or decorative mold with plastic wrap. Spoon hard sauce mixture into lined cup. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.
• Remove pudding from Dutch oven; cool in mold for 1 1/2 hours. Turn out of mold; carefully remove cheesecloth. Place on serving plate. Unmold hard sauce onto small plate; remove plastic wrap. Top each slice of pudding with small slice of hard sauce.

GINGER PUDDING

Steps:

• Using a microplane or grater, grate the ginger and squeeze out the juice through cheesecloth or a fine sieve into a bowl. You need 2 tablespoonfuls of juice. You should see a fine layer of white starch. Put 1 tablespoon of juice into each of two bowls. Heat the milk and sugar to 60-65°C (140-150°F), stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
• Stir the ginger juice, then pour the milk from a height of about 10 cm (4 inches) into the ginger juice. Don't stir and don't move the bowls. Leave for 5-10 minutes to set. Serve warm or chilled.

PLUM AND GINGER PUDDING

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 160 degrees celsius.
• Melt 300g butter and mix in brown sugar and cook over a low heat for a few minutes.
• Spread sugar mix over base of a lined cake tin.
• Halve and de-stone plums/ canned plums, drain well and place cut side down on the sugar mix.
• In a cake mixer Cream 200g butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs (one at a time stirring between each. Add the milk, then dry ingredients.
• Pour ontop of the plums and sugar mix.
• Bake at 160 degrees celsius for 45 minutes.
• When cool turn out of the cake tin.
• Note: Served best warm, its fine to reheat in the microwave.
• Note: Plums can be substitued with apricots, peaches or any other fleshy fruit.

PLUM PUDDING

Steps:

• Stir the flour, spice, suet, breadcrumbs and sugar in a large bowl. Tip in the fruit, peel, cherries (if using) and carrot, then stir well to mix. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until thoroughly combined.
• Spoon the mixture into a buttered 1.2 litre pudding bowl (with a buttered disc of greaseproof paper in the bottom) and press down well, leaving room for the pudding to rise a little during steaming. Cover with a circle of buttered greaseproof paper, then cover with pudding cloth or foil and tie securely with string.
• Stand the bowl on an upturned saucer in a saucepan and half fill with boiling water. Cover tightly and steam for 8 hours, topping up the water as necessary. Leave to cool in the pan.
• Remove the pudding from the pan and discard the cloth or foil and paper. Then cover with fresh greaseproof paper and cloth. Store your pudding in a cool, dry place until required - you can feed it with a few tablespoons of brandy once in a while. Before serving, steam again for 2-3 hours.

PLUM & GINGER TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix together the breadcrumbs, sugar, ginger and egg white. Roll out the pastry and cut into a 35cm round. Transfer to a large baking sheet, then use a fork to spread the crumb paste over the centre of the pastry to within 7cm of the edges. Cover with the plums, cut-sides up, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar.
• Flip the pastry over the plums to create an edge, pleating or pinching it together with your fingers to keep in place. Bake for 20-25 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden. Cool for 5 mins on the baking sheet, then slide onto a large, flat serving plate or board. Serve warm cut into wedges with clotted cream or ice cream.

GINGERY PLUM CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cm square cake tin with baking parchment. Butter the paper generously and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Halve the plums and arrange in the base of the tin in 1 layer, cut-sides down.
• For the cake, melt the butter, muscovado sugar and syrup in a large pan over a low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool for 10 mins, then stir in the eggs and milk. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then mix to a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the tin, over the plums, and bake for 45-55 mins until firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool. Will keep in the fridge, wrapped in baking parchment and foil, for up to 5 days.