Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Rum

 

NOW this is my kind of cake, loaded with dark rum and delicious for afternoon tea or served warm as a dessert with a dollop of Devonshire cream or custard.

 

 

 Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Rum

Ingredients

    1 large can pineapple rings (8 rings), drained
    2 free-range eggs
    125g/4½oz caster sugar
    150g/5¼oz plain flour
    2 tsp baking powder
    2 tsp vanilla sugar (make your own by placing a split vanilla pod in some caster sugar)
    50g/1¾oz butter, melted
    ½ lemon, zest only
    75ml/2½fl oz milk
    3 tbsp good-quality dark rum

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F/Gas 3.
2. Line the bottom and the sides of a large ovenproof dish or cake tin with the pineapple rings (cut the pineapple rings in half to line the sides).
3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until frothy.
4. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar together until well combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture and stir to combine.
6. Add the melted butter, the lemon zest, milk and dark rum to the mixture. Stir to combine.
7. Pour the mixture into the ovenproof dish over the pineapples. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until risen and golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
8. Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack. When it is cooled, cut into slices to serve.

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Pancakes

 It's Shrove Tuesday - or Pancake Day as it's more commonly known. This is the day in February or March immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes - the feast before the famine.

Pancakes are incredibly easy to make. Once cooked you can add the traditional lemon juice and sugar or go mad and concoct your own delicious toppings. Here are a few suggestions:

Salted caramel and hot chocolate
Lemon curd
Chocolate, peanut butter and banana.
Plum and spiced apple
Ice cream and peaches
Honey, yogurt and blueberries

Chocolate spread and strawberries 

Here's Mary Berry's recipe for a basic pancake mix.  

Pancakes

Makes – 12 Thin Pancakes (18-20cm each)

Ingredients
125g plain flour
1 egg and 1 yolk
300ml milk
  

Method
1. Sift 125g plain flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle.

2. Whisk together one egg, one yolk and a little milk taken from the 300ml, in a separate bowl.
Pour into the well. Whisk with a little of the flour.

3. Gradually whisk in half of the remaining milk, drawing in the rest of the flour with a little at a time, to make a smooth batter. Stir in the remaining milk. Cover and leave to stand for about 30 minutes.


5. Heat the frying pan and brush with a little oil.  Ladle two or three tablespoons of batter into the pan and tilt the pan so that the batter spreads out evenly over the bottom.

6. Cook the pancake over a medium-high heat for 45-60 seconds until small holes appear on the surface, the underside is lightly browned and the edge has started to curl. Loosen the pancake and turn it over by tossing or flipping it with a palette knife. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds until golden. Slide the pancake out of the pan.

Heat and lightly grease the pan again before making the next pancake. Serve the pancakes as they are made, or stack them on a plate and reheat before serving. (If the pancakes are hot when you stack them they will not stick together; there is no need to interleave them with greaseproof paper.)
Any uneaten pancakes will keep in a stack for 24 hours or can be frozen.


Salter Digital Scales for accurate measuring



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Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding

Who doesn't like a lovely sticky toffee pudding? Here's a slight twist on the theme. This comforting pud includes apples and would be ideal for  a Bonfire Night treat.

Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding

Serves 6 to 8 people

Ingredients
85g butter, melted
140g self-raising flour
100g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
200ml milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Bramley apples (or other cooking) apples, peeled, cored and sliced
For the topping
140g dark brown sugar
50g pecan, roughly chopped

Method
1 Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a 2-litre/3½-pint ovenproof dish lightly with butter. Tip the flour, sugar and baking powder, along with a pinch of salt, into a large bowl. Mix together the milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract and stir into the dry ingredients until you get a smooth batter. Arrange the apples in the dish, spoon the batter on top and smooth with a knife until the apples are covered.
2 For the topping, pour 250ml boiling water over the sugar and stir together until smooth. Pour the liquid over the pudding mixture, then scatter over the pecans. Bake for about 40 mins until the pudding has risen and is golden.
3 Use a big spoon to serve the pudding, making sure you get some of the gooey caramel sauce covering the bottom of the dish.

Serve with pouring cream, warm custard or vanilla ice cream



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Halloween: Graveyard Trifle

Halloween will soon be here. SPOOOOKKKKKKYYYYY!

If you want to impress/frighten your family, have a go at making this Graveyard Trifle. It looks spooktacular and tastes lovely.

This recipe came from via Tesco. There's there's very little actual cooking to be done - but there is a lot of assembling.

Graveyard Trifle

Ingredients
1 x 135g pack lime jelly
green food gel or colouring
425g (14oz) chocolate brownies
125g (4oz) jelly snakes (halved, if long)
500g (1lb) fresh custard
orange food colouring
1/2 x 225g pack soft-baked chocolate cookies
chocolate writing icing
3 rich tea finger biscuits
3 chocolate cornflake clusters
green sugar sand, to decorate (optional) Or can use Green Mini Sugar Balls 

Method
1 Break the jelly into a bowl, add 450ml boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add enough green food colouring to turn the liquid a vivid green; set aside to cool.

2 Crumble the brownies into the base of a glass trifle dish, about 8cm (3in) deep and 18-20cm (7-8in) wide. Press down with the back of a spoon to level the surface. Top with most of the jelly snakes, pushing a few close to the sides of the dish so they can be seen.

3 Put the custard in a bowl and stir in enough orange food colouring to turn it a pale tangerine. Pour it over the snake and brownie layer and spread level. Chill for 30 minutes, or until set. Spoon a little of the cooled liquid jelly over the custard layer to create a film-like layer; chill until set.

4 Carefully pour the remaining jelly over the top and return to the fridge for 4 hours, or until set. In a food processor, whizz the cookies to a fine crumb. Sprinkle over the top of the trifle for the 'soil'. Add the remaining jelly snakes, pushing the ends of each into the crumb 'soil' layer.

5 Decorate the rich tea biscuits with the writing icing to make 'RIP' or cross 'headstones' and push them into the trifle, positioning an 'earthy mound' cornflake cluster at the base of each. Sprinkle with a little sugar sand for 'moss', if you like.



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Apple And Vanilla Tart

A friend gave me a big bag of sweet and crisp eating apples. A few have gone into the fruit bowl but I used a few of them to to make a delicious apple and vanilla tart.

Apple And Vanilla Tart

Ingredients
375g pack puff pastry, preferably all-butter
5 large eating apples - Cox's, russets or Elstar
juice of 1 lemon
25g butter, cut into small pieces
3 tsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 rounded tbsp apricot conserve 

Method
1 Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Roll out the pastry and trim to a round about 35cm across. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2 Peel, core and thinly slice the apples and toss in the lemon juice. Spread over the pastry to within 2cm of the edges. Curl up the edges slightly to stop the juices running off.
3 Dot the top with the butter and sprinkle with vanilla and caster sugar. Bake for 15-20 mins until the apples are tender and the pastry crisp.
4 Warm the conserve and brush over the apples and pastry edge. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.



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India Pale Ale Treacle Tart

There's a distinct nip in the air here in Devon although the sun is still shining. What could be better on a golden autumn evening than a lovely treacle tart and clotted Devonshire cream? This one includes IPA (India Pale Ale) which creates depth to the flavour.

Here's my tried and tested recipe. You don't, of course, have to have it with clotted cream, custard is a family favourite too!

Treacle Tart

Ingredients

Pastry
250g plain flour
125g chilled and chopped unsalted butter
75g icing sugar
2 egg yolks
Filling
700g golden syrup
50g honey
250g breadcrumbs
½ grapefruit, zest only
100ml IPA
3 medium eggs

Method

1 Put flour and butter in a bowl and rub together with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the icing sugar followed by the egg yolks. If the pastry feels too dry, add 2 tbsp water. Shape into a ball, flatten it out into a disc, wrap it in cling film, then chill for 30 mins.

2 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until big enough to line a 23cm fluted tart tin, about 3cm deep. Line the tin with the pastry, allowing the edges to overhang. Chill for another 30 mins.

3 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the tart with baking parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 20 mins. Remove the beans and parchment and bake for 10-15 mins more until the pastry is golden and crisp.

4 While the pastry is cooking, mix the golden syrup, honey, breadcrumbs, grapefruit zest, beer and eggs together in a large jug or bowl.

5 Lower oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Trim the pastry edges, then fill with the treacle mixture. Bake for 55 mins-1 hr until golden.



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Strawberry Icebox Cake

We are in a bit of a heatwave at the moment so this is the perfect dessert for sunny days. Icebox cakes are really simple and no cooking is required. There are plenty of strawberries about at the moment; this is a perfect way of using them up. 

Strawberry Icebox Cake

Serves 8 to 12 

Ingredients

2lbs fresh strawberries, washed and patted dry
800ml double cream
70g icing sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
19oz digestive biscuits or malted milk biscuits





Method
Pick out a few of the best-looking strawberries and set aside. Hull the remainder and cut each strawberry into thin slices.

Whip the cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and whip to combine.

Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan, or a similarly sized platter. Lay down a layer of biscuits. Lightly cover the top of the biscuits with more whipped cream, and then a single layer of strawberries. Repeat 3 times, until you have 4 layers of biscuits. Make sure you save enough whipped cream to swirl over the top. 

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until biscuits have softened completely. Decorate with the reserved strawberries.




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Eton Mess Cheesecake

Eton Mess Cheesecake

I love cheesecake and Eton mess - so this is a perfect recipe for me.  It's surprisingly simple to make especially as it specifies using ready-made mini meringues. Of course, you can make your own if you want to. Make the most of succulent British strawberries which are in season at the moment.

Ingredients
100g butter, plus extra for the tin
200g digestive biscuits
375g mascarpone
420g full-fat cream cheese
150g icing sugar, plus 2 tbsp for the strawberries
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped, pod reserved
225ml double cream
600g strawberries, hulled, larger ones cut in half
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
10 shop-bought mini meringues

Method
1 Butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
2 Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to bash them into crumbs – or blitz in a food processor. Melt the butter, then stir it into the biscuit crumbs, mixing thoroughly. Tip into the tin, press down to create a firm layer and put in the fridge for 1 hr to set.
3 Using an electric whisk, beat the cheeses, sugar, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt until thick and smooth. Pour in the double cream and whisk until only just combined. Spoon the filling onto the base, smooth the top and return to the fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight.
4 Half an hour before serving, put the strawberries in a bowl with 2 tbsp icing sugar, the balsamic and scraped vanilla pod. Mix once, then leave the strawberries to soften slightly and release their juices. Push 1/4 of the strawberries through a sieve along with the juices to create a thick purée – or blitz in a food processor.
5 To serve, run a knife around the outside of the cheesecake, release it from the tin, then top with the strawberries dotted with the meringues, crushing some as you go. Drizzle over the purée. 



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Treacle Apple Pudding

There is a decided chill in the air and my thoughts have been turning to warming comfort food. What could be better than a steaming Treacle Apple Pudding?

Serve with custard or cream - or both. I know you can make your own custard but I was born in the land of Ambrosia so I always serve it with puddings. Delicious.

The recipe, which is one of my favourites, is from the BBC Good Food website.

Treacle Apple Pudding

    2–3 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 250g flesh)
    100g light soft brown sugar
    50g golden syrup, plus 2 tbsp
    butter, for greasing
    1 tangy eating apple, such as Braeburn
    squeeze of lemon juice
    175g self-raising flour
    1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    2 tsp ground cinnamon
    1 tsp ground ginger
    1 large egg

1. Heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Put the chopped Bramleys in a saucepan, add 100ml water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 5 mins until the apples are very soft. Beat to a purée with a wooden spoon. Add the sugar and 50g of the syrup, bring to a simmer, then set aside and cool.
   
2. While you wait, grease the inside of a 1.3-litre pudding basin. Spoon 2 tbsp syrup into the bottom. Peel and core the eating apple, slice half and chop the rest. Toss in the lemon juice and nestle the sliced apple into the syrup in the bottom of the basin.

3. Sift the flour, bicarb and spices into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Beat the egg into the saucy apple, then tip this and the remaining chopped apple into the bowl and stir until smooth. It will start to rise a little as you mix. Quickly turn the batter into the basin, level the top, then bake for 40–45 mins or until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cover with foil towards the end of cooking if the sponge browns too quickly. Leave to rest for a few mins, then turn out onto a plate.






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Three Things To Do With Apples

TWO people have given me apples this week. I made a lovely apple crumble but still had lots left over. A quick trawl of the internet threw up this Youtube video, Three Things To Do With Apples.

Apple and Chilli Jam

First up was Apple and Chilli Jam which looks amazingly quick and easy - and delicious. If  you have no desire to make jam, skip to around 3mins 12secs for a wonderful Pork and Apple Stew. The recipe included cider so, being a good old Devon maid, I used Sam's Cider from Winkleigh Cider.

Pork and Apple Stew

We had the stew for supper last night and it was wonderful and warming on a chilly autumn evening.

Lastly, there was a demo of how to make an Apple and Elderflower Tarte Tatin (beginning at around 7 minutes).  My apples are running out now, but I think I have enough left to give this a go. I hope to impress the relatives when they come round for Sunday lunch!

Apple and Elderflower Tarte Tatin

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Blackberry Pie and Blackberry & Apple Gin

I CAME across this very grown-up version of blackberry pie in Delicious Magazine. I love it when blackberries are plentiful in the hedgerows and I can gather them to make blackberry pie or blackberry and apple pie or crumble. Blackberries also make a delicious "gin". I've included a recipe for Blackberry and Apple Gin from Larder Love.  It takes only four weeks to mature so would be ready in time for Christmas.

Sloe Gin Bramble Pie

2kg British blackberries
75ml sloe gin (or brandy or cassis)
250g golden caster sugar
6 tbsp cornflour
1 medium free-range egg yolk, beaten, to glaze
Double cream to serve

For the pastry
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature but not too soft, cubed, plus extra for greasing
400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
50g golden caster sugar
Good pinch salt
1 medium free-range egg

METHOD

Put the blackberries in a pan with the sloe gin and golden caster sugar. Set over a low-medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes until you have about 1 litre juice. Drain the blackberries, reserving the juices, then leave to cool completely. Return the juices to the pan and reduce to a thick syrup (see tips). Once the blackberries have cooled, mix them with the cornflour.

For the pastry, briefly whizz the butter with the flour, 50g sugar and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Slowly pulse in the egg, then 2 tbsp cold water, until the dough just comes together. Tip onto a floured surface, split into two (roughly two thirds and one third), then roll each into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap each disc in cling film, then chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 210°C/fan190°C/gas 6½ and put in a baking sheet to heat up. Take the larger disc of pastry out of the fridge. Roll it out to 0.5cm thick on a lightly floured surface and use to line the base and sides of a 5cm deep ceramic or metal flan/pie dish measuring about 18cm across the bottom and 23cm across the top. Once you’ve lined the dish with the pastry, spoon in the cooled blackberries. Put the blackberry-filled base in the fridge.

Roll out the second piece of pastry to a 23cm circle. Remove the dish from the fridge and lightly wet the edges of the pastry base. Top with the second layer of pastry and crimp, using your thumb and forefinger, to seal. With a sharp knife, make a few slits and a hole in the top and, if you like, use any pastry trimmings to decorate (re-roll, cut into shapes and affix with a little water). Brush the top with the beaten egg yolk to glaze it. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes, then glaze again.

Bake on the hot baking sheet for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp – cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the dish for 2-3 hours so the filling can thicken. Serve the pie in slices straight from the dish, with lashings of cream.
   
The syrup from the blackberries isn’t needed in this recipe, but it’s great as a base for a gin and tonic. Or use it to drizzle over sorbets and ice creams (you may need to sweeten it a little).

    If you’d like a sugary glaze for the pie, sprinkle the pastry with a little demerara sugar before baking.

Blackberry and Apple Gin

Ingredients

225g/8oz blackberries

225g/8oz apples

1 bay leaf

200g/7oz caster sugar

750ml/1 ¼ pints gin (I'm from the West Country so use Plymouth Gin)

Method

Chop the apples (no need to peel or core)

Put the chopped apples, blackberries, bay leaf and sugar in a large wide

mouthed jar.

Pour over the gin and seal the jar.

Shake well and put aside in dark cupboard and shake every few days for 4 weeks.

Strain through muslin or kitchen roll and decant into a bottle.

It's good neat or with tonic or soda and ice.

 



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Strawberry Coulis

What could be better on a lovely June day than sitting out in the garden eating a big bowl of strawberries with a dollop of Devonshire clotted cream? But when I  want to tart up a dessert or make a topping for ice cream,  I make this lovely strawberry coulis.

Recently I made a lemon tart and this sweet coulis complemented it beautifully. If you're pushed for time, you can buy your tart and make it it into something special with the addition of the coulis. It's so simple to make. Sainsbury's do a really nice lemon tart. Dust it with icing sugar, add the coulis and it instantly turns into a posh pud.

Strawberry Coulis 

Ingredients

125ml (4fl oz) water
125g (4oz) caster sugar
300g (10oz) hulled and halved strawberries
1tbsp fruit-flavoured alcohol or liqueur (optional)

Method
    1. Bring the water and caster sugar to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
    2. Add the hulled and halved strawberries and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until soft.
    3. Purée the mixture and, if desired, stir in 1 tablespoon of fruit-flavoured alcohol.

It will store in the fridge for up to two days.



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Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Who doesn't like a nice pud? Here's one of my favourites, Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce. Add some fresh strawberries for contrast - and a nod towards healthy eating - if you like.

Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease
 200g dried pitted dates, coarsely chopped
 250ml water
 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
 100g butter
 155g caster sugar
 2 eggs
 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
 225g self-raising flour
 Double cream or ice-cream, to serve
 Fresh strawberries, to serve
Caramel sauce
 200g (firmly packed) brown sugar
 125ml pouring cream
 100g butter
 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a round 20cm (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter to grease. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Place dates and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Fold in the date mixture and flour until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

Meanwhile, to make the caramel sauce, stir the sugar, cream, butter and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until smooth.

Cut pudding into wedges and pour over the caramel sauce. Serve with cream or ice-cream and strawberries.

This is adapted from a recipe at Taste website. Lots more recipes here.

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Treacle Tart

SPRING is just around the corner but for now there is still a nip in the air and frost on the ground in the mornings. That's my excuse for turning to those lovely warming puddings! Here's one of my favourites:

Treacle Tart

Serves 6

Ingredients

350g shortcrust pastry
300g /10oz golden syrup
1 heaped tbsp black treacle
Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
4 medium free range eggs
25g /1oz fresh bread crumbs

Method

Heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4

Roll out the pastry to 5mm / ¼ inch (the depth of a pound coin).  Line a lightly greased 23cm /9 inch loose bottomed tart tin with the pastry,  trim off the edges, then place in the fridge for 30 mins to rest the pastry and prevent shrinkage in the oven - do not be tempted to miss this stage out or your baked cake will shrink unevenly.

Place a baking sheet in the preheated oven. Meanwhile, mix together the golden syrup and treacle with the lemon zest and juice. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add to the treacle mixture. Finally stir in the bread crumbs.

After the pastry has rested for 30 minutes, place the case on the preheated baking sheet, then carefully pour the mixture into the prepared tart case. (TIP: taking the mixture to the tart in the oven rather than the other way round, is easier and helps prevent spillages).

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the crust and filling are golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

Serve hot with cream, ice cream or custard. If you let it cool, it will store for a couple of days in an airtight tin and is easy to reheat in a medium hot oven, or eat it cold.

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Steamed Pudding

IF the weather is miserable and you want to curl up in front of warm fire with a delicious pud, then I have just the recipe for you from the wonderful Delia Smith.

The hot punch sauce is divine and could accompany all kinds of puddings. Warning (or recommendation!): it is extremely alcoholic. If you don't want a sauce with alcohol, use plain custard or cream instead.

Steamed Panettone Pudding with Eliza Acton's Hot Punch Sauce

Ingredients
For the steamed panettone pudding:
 3 x 100 g panettone cakes or the same amount from a 500 g panettone cake
 6 oz (175 g) dried mixed fruit, soaked in 3 tablespoons rum overnight
 2 oz (50 g) whole almonds with their skins left on
 2 oz (50 g) candied peel, finely chopped
 grated zest 1 orange
 grated zest 2 lemons
 2 oz (50 g) molasses sugar
 10 fl oz (275 ml) milk
 5 fl oz (150 ml) double cream
 3 large eggs

For Eliza Acton's hot punch sauce:
 1 large orange
 1 lemon
 4 oz (110 g) caster sugar
 1 oz (25 g) plain flour
 2 oz (50 g) unsalted butter, softened
 2 tablespoons rum
 2 tablespoons brandy
 6 fl oz (175 ml) medium sherry

Equipment
You will also need a 2 pint (1.2 litre) pudding basin, well buttered, and either a double pan steamer or a large saucepan with a fan steamer and a tight-fitting lid, and some foil and string.

Method

You need to begin this by soaking the dried mixed fruit in the rum overnight.

The next day, toast the almonds. To do this, pre-heat the grill to its highest setting for 10 minutes, then place the almonds on some foil and toast them under the grill for 2-3 minutes, but don't go away, as they will burn very quickly.

When they look nicely toasted and browned on one side, turn them all over and toast the other side, then remove them from the grill and leave them aside to cool.

Next, cut the panettone into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks and place them in a large mixing bowl, along with the candied peel, orange and lemon zests and the soaked, dried mixed fruit and any drops of rum that didn't get soaked up.

Now chop the almonds into thin slivers and add these. Now give it all a really good stir to distribute everything evenly. Then, in another bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk, cream and eggs and pour this all over the panettone, giving everything another good mix.

Now pour the mixture into the buttered pudding basin and press everything down to pack it in.

Now cover the top of the pudding with a double sheet of foil measuring about 10 inches (25.5 cm) square and tie it securely with the string round the top of the basin, then make a string handle by taking a length of string over the top of the pudding basin and attaching it to each side – this will help you lift the pudding into the steamer.

Now boil a kettle and pour the boiling water into the saucepan, about half full, place it on a medium heat and, when it comes back to the boil, fit the steamer over the top. Now pop the pudding in, put the lid on and steam the pudding for exactly 2 hours.

After 1 hour, check the water level in the saucepan and, if necessary, top it up with boiling water. If you are using a fan steamer, put in enough water to just reach the steamer, and you'll need to top it up 2 or 3 times.

Meanwhile, make the hot punch sauce.

First prepare the orange and lemon zests, and to do this it's best to use a potato peeler and pare off the outer zest, leaving the white pith behind.

What you need is 4 strips of each zest measuring approximately 2 x 1 inch (5 x 2.5 cm). Then, using a sharp knife, cut the strips into very thin, needle-like shreds.

Now pop these into a medium-sized saucepan, along with the sugar and 10 fl oz (275 ml) water, bring everything up to a slow simmer and let it simmer as gently as possible for 15 minutes.

While that is happening, squeeze the juice from the orange and lemon, and in a separate bowl, mix the flour and butter together to form a paste.

When the 15 minutes is up, add the orange and lemon juice,  along with the rum, brandy and sherry, and bring it all back up to a gentle heat.

Now add the paste to the liquid in small, peanut-sized pieces, whisking as you add them, until they have dissolved and the sauce has thickened.

Serve the sauce hot in a warmed serving jug, and if you make it in advance, re-heat it gently without letting it come to the boil.

To serve the pudding, remove the foil and string and let it stand for 5-10 minutes, then slide a palette knife all round to loosen it and turn it out on to a warmed plate.

Pour some of the hot punch sauce over the pudding and carry it to the table, with the rest of the sauce in a jug to hand round separately.

Take a look at lots of wonderful Delia recipes on her website HERE.

Fancy a lovely retro sign for your kitchen? Here's one - aaah, Bisto!

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