Steamed Date Pudding Food

DATE & NUT STEAMED PUDDING

Steps:

• 1. Mix the dry ingredients
• 2. Beat together the butter, milk, and eggs, then add to dry ingredients and mix well
• 3. Butter the mold (the bowl you will be cooking the pudding in) then place the pudding mixture into the mold. Some people also line the mold with parchment paper to make it easier to get the pudding out of the mold after it is cooked.
• 4. After wrapping the mold in buttered grease paper and aluminum foil (see BBC video below) place mold in steamer pan to steam for two or three hours til done
• 5. An English pudding may be steamed in A. A steamer pan (similar to a double boiler with holes in the bottom of the top pan) B. A Slow cooker C. A large stock pot on the stove
• 6. To watch an excellent video from the BBC that explains how to wrap and seal a pudding, then cook it in a stock pot go here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/1060/steaming-a-pudding OR HERE FOR MORE TIPS AND HINTS: http://allrecipes.co.uk/how-to/47/how-to-steam-christmas-pudding.aspx
• 7. It can also be done in a slow cooker: After the pudding is wrapped (see BBC video above) place the pudding mold into the slow cooker. Pour in sufficient water to come 1/2 way up the sides of the pudding bowl. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5-7 hours. (You may need to scrunch up a bit of aluminum foil, or use an inverted saucer to lift the mold off the bottom of the crock pot.)
• 8. No matter the method, be sure to also keep a kettle of hot water on the stove, so you can top up the hot water in the steamer pan every so often. You don't want the steamer pan to go dry, it must have water and steam in it continually to finish steaming the pudding and since steam evaporates, the water level will need to be replenished. Just keep checking it every so often. You also do not want the hot water to bubble into the mold, that would ruin the pudding, so that is why the water level must be kept at half way up the bowl (mold) and the heat must keep the water steaming but not at a rolling boil.

OLD FASHIONED DATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Mix together 1 cup dates, 1 cup hot water and baking soda. Let stand several minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients (white sugar, butter, egg, flour, baking powder and pecans). Mix well.
• Pour into 9x9 inch greased pan.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Mix brown sugar, 2/3 cup water and 2/3 cup dates in saucepan.
• Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat,stirring constantly.
• Pour on top of date pudding immediately, or it can be spooned on after it is cut into pieces.
• Top with whipped cream.

OLD FASHIONED DATE PUDDING

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring 1 cup brown sugar and water to a boil. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add butter; set aside. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining brown sugar. Stir in milk until smooth. add dates and walnuts., Pour hot brown sugar syrup into an 8-in. square baking dish. Spoon batter over syrup. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake topping comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream.

STICKY DATE & GINGER PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly grease a deep 2-litre (about 28 x 20cm) oval baking dish. Tip the dates into a pan, pour over the milk and bring up to scalding point. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla essence and bicarbonate of soda, then leave to one side. Sift the flour and ginger into a bowl, then add the sugar, butter and eggs. Beat with an electric whisk for about 5 mins. Fold in the date mixture and stem ginger, then pour into the baking dish.
• For the sauce, sprinkle the sugar over the pudding batter, then drizzle with the syrup. Pour 250ml boiling water over (do not stir), then bake for 40-45 mins until the pudding is firm to the touch. Serve spoonfuls of the pudding with a generous helping of syrupy sauce from the bottom of the dish. Great with vanilla ice cream or pouring cream.

STEAMED OATMEAL DATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients.
• Pour into ramekins or pudding molds 2/3rd of the way full.
• Cover with greased aluminum foil.
• Place into steamer.
• Cook for 3 hours, replenishing water as needed.
• Serve with pudding sauce of your choice.

STICKY DATE & RAISIN PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the dates, raisins, milk and brandy or rum in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins until the fruit is soft and the liquid has been absorbed - don't worry if it looks a little curdled. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, generously butter a 1.2-litre pudding basin.
• To prepare your steamer, place a snugly fitting upturned bowl or saucer in the base of a large, deep saucepan, big enough to hold your pudding basin. Cut out a large circle of baking parchment and one of foil, both 5cm wider than the rim of your pudding basin. Make a sharp pleat down the centre of both, then butter one side of the parchment - this will be your lid. Set aside. Boil the kettle for the steamer.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating again until well combined. Finally, add the flour, mixed spice, orange zest, date mixture and a pinch of salt, and stir everything well with a spatula until there are no visible lumps of flour. Tip the cake mixture into your pudding basin. Cover the bowl with the parchment, butter-side down and pleat on top, then the foil. Push the sides of the lid down, then tie a piece of string securely under the lip of the basin. Use any overhanging string to create a handle to help you lift the pudding.
• Stand the pudding basin on top of the upturned bowl or saucer in the saucepan and fill the pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover the pan with a lid and leave to steam for 2½ hrs, topping up with boiling water if the level gets low. Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre. If the skewer has any uncooked mixture on it, return it to the pan to steam for another 15 mins, then check again. Once cooked, you can cover the pudding with clean baking parchment and foil and keep for up to a week. Re-steam the pudding for 1 hr before serving.