STEAMED ORANGE PUDDING WITH ORANGE WHISKY SAUCE

Buttermilk ensures this spongy pud has a lovely light texture.

Serves 8

100g butter, softened

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp finely grated orange zest

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp citrus jelly or orange marmalade

185g self-raising flour

¹⁄³ cup buttermilk

ORANGE WHISKY SAUCE

¾ cup citrus jelly or orange marmalade

2 tbsp caster sugar

¼ cup water

1 large orange, finely grated zest

3 tbsp whisky

1 Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

2 Add the zest, juice and jelly or marmalade, beating until well combined. Fold in flour, then the buttermilk, to form a dropping consistency.

3 Pour the mixture into a 1 litre steamer basin. Cover with a piece of baking paper, cut about 4cm larger than the top of the basin. Crease it in the middle and secure with the lid, or cover with tin foil tied with string.

4 Place an upturned saucer in a large saucepan and set the pudding bowl on top (the saucer stops the pudding from burning).

5 Pour in enough hot water to come threequarters of the way up the basin. Cover and cook for 1-1½ hours, until a skewer inserted in the centre of the pudding comes out clean and it feels spongy to touch.

6 (If you are using a funnel basin, as we did, the cooking time will be a little shorter.) If necessary, add more water during cooking.

7 To make the sauce, put the jelly or marmalade, caster sugar, water and zest in a small saucepan, and simmer gently until the sauce thickens, stirring from time to time. Stir in the whisky.

8 Allow to stand for 15 minutes to thicken further before serving drizzled over the hot pudding with a dollop of thickened cream.