Puddings for the Cold – Meleg édességek hideg napokra

Warm yourself and your guests with these comforting winter puds.

Blueberry steamed pudding

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1-1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• butter, for greasing
• 30ml golden syrup
• 125ml fresh or frozen thawed blueberries
• 135ml (125g) butter
• 140ml (125g) castor sugar
• 10ml vanilla essence
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 320ml (175g) self-raising flour
• 15-30ml milk
• custard, to serve

Preparation:

1) Grease a 900ml pudding basin with butter (or use individual ramekins, if you prefer).
2) Spoon 30ml golden syrup into the bottom of the bowl and top with 125ml fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries.
3) Beat the butter and castor sugar together. Stir in the vanilla essence then add the lightly beaten eggs, a little at a time. Fold in the self-raising flour and 15-30ml milk, to form a dropping consistency.
4) Spoon the batter onto the blueberries. Cover the bowl with pleated baking paper and secure it with string.
5) Steam in a large saucepan of boiling water for one hour (or 25 minutes for individual puddings) with the lid on. Add more water if necessary. Invert onto a serving plate or into individual bowls, and serve warm with extra berries and custard.

Reduced-sugar steamed chocolate pudding

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1-1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 200ml (110g) cake flour
• 125ml (85g) sugar substitute
• 20ml unsweetened cocoa
• 125ml low-fat milk
• 1 large egg
• 5ml baking powder
• 100g good quality 70% cocoa chocolate (or sugar-free chocolate)
• 75g roughly chopped hazelnuts, to serve

Preparation:

1) Put all the ingredients except the chocolate and nuts in a food processor and blend for one minute or until just combined. Melt half the chocolate and pour into the food processor. Pulse once or twice to combine.
2) Pour into a lightly greased pudding basin or two smaller bowls. Cover with a piece of pleated paper and tie with string. Place the pudding basin in a pot and fill the pot with hot water to halfway up the basin. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer, covered, for one to one-and-a-half hours or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Melt the rest of the chocolate and pour it over the pudding. Serve sprinkled with chopped nuts.

Pineapple pudding

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 40-55 minutes
Oven temperature: 180oC

Ingredients:

• 350ml (300g) sugar
• 4 cardamom pods, bruised
• 1 large pineapple, peeled and cubed
• 2 large eggs
• 30ml melted butter
• 65ml milk
• 250ml (135g) self-raising flour

For the sauce:  

• 125ml sour cream
• 5ml vanilla essence
• 250ml (210g) sugar
• vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, to serve

Preparation:

1) Heat 125ml water and 100ml sugar and the cardamom together in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then add the pineapple cubes. Simmer for five minutes, then set aside to cool.
2) Beat the eggs and remaining sugar together. Add the butter and milk. Fold in the flour and pour the batter into a greased 18 x 28cm ovenproof dish.
3) Drain the cooled pineapple pieces, discard the cardamom pods and then spoon the pineapple onto the pudding. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Cover the top with aluminium foil if you see it is browning too much.
4) Sauce: Stir the sour cream, vanilla and sugar together. When the cake comes out of the oven, use a skewer to poke a few holes in it. Spoon the cream mixture over the top of the cake. Serve the cake warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Citrus pudding

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 40 minutes Baking time: 1 hour
Oven temperature: 180oC

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges
• zest and juice from one lemon
• 135ml (125g) butter, softened
• 210ml (180g) sugar
• 4 extra-large eggs, separated
• 130ml (70g) cake flour
• 500ml milk
• cream, to serve

Preparation:

1) Grate the zest from the oranges and set aside. Cut off the remaining peel and discard, then cut the flesh into small pieces. Place the pieces, along with any juice, in a bowl together with the lemon juice.
2) Beat the butter, sugar and citrus zest together well. Add the egg yolks and beat well.
3) Add the flour and milk and then stir in the orange pieces and the citrus juice.
4) Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into the citrus mixture gently. Pour into an ovenproof baking dish. Place the dish into a roasting tin that is half full of water.
5) Bake in a preheated oven for one hour, or until the pudding is firm to the touch. Serve warm, with cream.