Best Recipes: Steamed Pudding

I tried Wai Lana's Steamed Pudding recipe today. It's pretty good. I threw in some extra raisins and such and baked it longer than said, I like things nice and crunchy for the most part.. so I did a little over baking.

Steamed Pudding

Steamed pudding is a traditional English dessert that’s ideal to serve during the colder months when you feel like something more filling. Maple syrup is a natural nonrefined sweetener that is rich in potassium, calcium, and iron, with trace amounts of B vitamins.

1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup golden or maple syrup

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup milk
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup pecans, macadamia nuts, or your favorite nuts, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups unbleached white flour

1. Oil a medium bowl that can fit inside a large covered saucepan. Set aside. Melt the first set of ingredients together in a saucepan. Set aside. Cream the butter and honey together in a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, milk, and vanilla and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl combine the third set of ingredients and mix well. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing.

3. Place the batter in the oiled bowl, filling it 1/2 to 2/3 full to leave room for the pudding to expand as it cooks. Pour the syrup over the pudding. Cover the bowl with foil to make a tight seal (a proper steaming bowl with a lid is best, but this works well too).

4. Set the bowl inside a large saucepan and fill the saucepan with water to halfway up the side of the bowl. Cover with a tightly fitting lid. Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1 hour. Check the water level from time to time and top up as necessary.

5. After 1 hour, remove the bowl from the saucepan and check to see if the pudding is cooked by inserting a sharp knife. If the knife comes out clean, the pudding is cooked. If not, reseal and cook a little longer. Cool, then turn the pudding upside down on a serving plate. The syrup will fall nicely over the pudding.

Serves 8-10

Note: This recipe can be doubled; just be sure to increase the size of the bowl and saucepan accordingly. Also, for a vegan version, substitute soymilk and nonhydrogenated soy margarine for the milk and butter.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 351, Fat 7.6g (68 cal), Carbohydrate 66.8g (267 cal), Protein 4g (16 cal)
Added information: Saturated Fat 3.6g, Cholesterol 15mg, Sodium 213mg, Dietary Fiber 1.6g