Rhubarb And Vanilla Sponge Pudding Food

RHUBARB AND VANILLA SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Slit the vanilla pod open lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife into a mixing bowl (save the pod for later). Add 185g of the sugar and mix them with your fingertips, then stir in the plain flour. Wipe the rhubarb stalks clean, cut into 5cm pieces, then add to the bowl and toss to coat. Leave for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until all the pieces of fruit are coated in sticky sugar/flour mix.
• Spoon the fruit over the base of a shallow 2 litre baking dish (the shallower the dish, the quicker the sponge will cook). It will look like quite a lot of fruit, but don't worry - it collapses during cooking. Cut the reserved vanilla pod into 4 pieces and poke them in amongst the rhubarb. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
• For the sponge topping, beat the butter and remaining 115g sugar in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon (or an electric mixer) for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the self-raising flour with the second egg. Beat in the vanilla extract. Sift over the rest of the flour and a pinch of salt, then gently fold in along with the milk using a metal spoon, trying to keep the mixture as light as possible.
• Remove the dish of rhubarb from the oven, discard the vanilla pod pieces and drop small spoonfuls of the sponge mixture roughly over the top of the fruit. Don't worry about a few gaps; these will fill in as the sponge rises and cooks.
• Bake for about 35 minutes until the sponge is cooked through and crisp and brown on top. Remove the dish from the oven and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Dust the top with a little icing sugar and serve hot with cream or custard.

RHUBARB AND PUDDING BARS

Steps:

• Crust: 1 1/4 c flour, 1/3 c sugar, 1/2 c butter. Mix like a pie crust and pat into greased 9x13 pan.
• Filling: 4 c rhubarb, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 c sugar. Mix until rhubarb is well coated, and put on top of crust.
• Top Crust: 1 1/4 c sugar, 1/2 c butter, 1 c flour. Mix and sprinkle on top of rhubarb filling.
• Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. May not brown over completely. Cool completely before next step.
• Topping (best to wait until day of serving to add this part): Mix 2 cups milk with 2 packages instant vanilla pudding. When set, pour over bars. Then top with a container of Cool Whip.
• Store in refrigerator to keep pudding and cool whip set.

RHUBARB PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Whisk the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Beat the egg, butter, and milk in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until moistened, then spread into the prepared baking dish. Stir together the rhubarb, 2 cups of sugar, and the water; pour into the baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the dough has set and the rhubarb is bubbly, about 40 minutes.

RHUBARB STEAMED PUDDING

Steps:

• Cook the rhubarb with 75g/2¾oz of the sugar and the ginger over a gentle heat for 2-3 mins until just starting to soften. Remove from heat.
• Grease a 900ml pudding basin. Put butter and remaining sugar in a bowl and cream together. Stir in vanilla extract, then beat in eggs, a little at a time. Sift in flour and carefully fold into the mixture.
• Spoon rhubarb into the bottom of the basin, then spoon the sponge mixture on top and level off surface.
• Butter a piece of greaseproof paper slightly bigger than the top of the pudding basin. Make a pleat in the centre and secure over the top of basin. Repeat with a piece of foil, then secure the whole thing with string. Place in a pan half filled with simmering water. Cover and cook for 1½ hrs, checking regularly that the pan does not boil dry. Remove cover, invert the pudding onto a plate, then carefully lift off the pudding basin. Serve with crème fraîche or single cream.

NORWEGIAN RHUBARB PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat 1 3/4 cups water and 3/4 cup sugar to boiling, stirring occasionally.
• Add rhubarb.
• Simmer uncovered until rhubarb is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Mix 1/4 cup water and the cornstarch; stir into rhubarb.
• Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
• Boil and stir 1 minute.
• Stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour into serving bowl or dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate.
• Beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in chilled bowl until stiff.
• Pipe through decorators' tube or spoon onto pudding.

STICKY RHUBARB & STRAWBERRY SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Lightly butter a 1.2-litre pudding basin. Mix the rhubarb, sugar and 2 tsp water in a small heatproof bowl. Cover with cling film and microwave on High for 1-1½ mins, until the rhubarb is just beginning to soften. (Alternatively, cook for 5 mins in a small saucepan, until the sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb softens slightly.) Drain rhubarb, reserving the juices, then mix the rhubarb with 4 tbsp of the strawberry conserve. Spoon into the pudding basin.
• Put all of the sponge ingredients in a large bowl, then beat with an electric whisk for 1 min until light and creamy. Spoon into the basin, taking care not to dislodge the rhubarb, then smooth the top.
• Lay a large sheet of greaseproof on top of a piece of foil the same size. Butter the paper, pleat in the middle and cover the pudding. Tie tightly with string under rim of basin, then trim, scrunching foil up around the paper to make it watertight. Place the pudding in a large saucepan on an upturned saucer. Pour justboiled water to halfway up the basin, cover, then steam for 1½ hrs. Check the water level every 30 mins or so and top up if you need to. To test when the pudding is ready, unwrap and insert a skewer into the sponge. It should come out clean with no trace of raw mixture.
• Just before serving, heat reserved rhubarb juices with the remaining conserve in a small saucepan or in the microwave until bubbling. Turn out the pud, drizzle the hot sauce over the top and enjoy with custard. To make ahead, leave the pud in its basin to cool, then recover and chill. Steam for 20 mins, or invert onto a heatproof plate and microwave on High for 5-10 mins to warm through.
• To make individual puddings: Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and boil the kettle. Divide the rhubarb topping between 6 lightly greased 200ml dariole moulds, then top with the sponge mixture. Smooth over the surface and loosely cover each pudding with some buttered foil, scrunching around the sides to give the sponge room to rise. Place the puddings in a deep roasting tray and pour in boiling water from the kettle until halfway up the sides of the moulds. Bake for 25-35 mins until the sponge has risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Serve with the extra rhubarb and strawberry syrup.