STEAMED PLUM SPONGE PUDDING

The English librettist WS Gilbert, of the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership, commented that ‘life’s a pudding full of plums’, and a sponge pudding is an excellent way of using a surfeit of the fruit.

Serves 6

For the plums

800g (1lb 12oz) Victoria plums, quartered and stones removed 60g (2¼oz) caster sugar

For the sponge

200g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 200g (7oz) caster sugar 3 medium eggs, at room temperature

200g (7oz) self-raising flour, sifted

50ml (2fl oz) grenadine syrup Crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream, to serve

For the plum and grenadine syrup (optional)

200g (7oz) Victoria plums, quartered and stones removed 100g (3½oz) caster sugar 200ml (7fl oz) water 50ml (2fl oz) grenadine syrup

Juice of ½ a lemon

Grease a 1.2ltr (2pt) pudding bowl with butter. Put the plums and the sugar in a large pan and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the plums have softened but still retain their shape. Place three-quarters of the plums in a fan shape in the base of the pudding bowl, with some of the juice, then set aside to cool. You can use the remaining plum mixture in the syrup later, or keep it in the fridge for another pudding.

Now make the sponge. Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl with a hand-held electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour, then the grenadine syrup, and gently mix. Spoon the sponge mix into the pudding bowl on top of the cooled, cooked plums.

Cover the top of the pudding bowl with greased baking parchment, secure with string then cover the top again with foil and tie with string to secure. Place an upturned small heatproof plate or saucer in the bottom of a large, deep pan. Sit the pudding bowl on the plate in the pan and pour in water so it comes halfway up the sides of the bowl.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and steam in the gently simmering water, with the pan covered, for 1-2 hours. Keep topping up the water as needed while the pudding cooks so the pan does not boil dry. To check if the sponge is cooked, pierce the centre with a skewer and if it comes out clean, the pudding is done.

While the sponge is cooking, make the plum and grenadine syrup (if you wish). Place the quartered plums, and the leftover cooked plums, in a heavy-based pan with the sugar, water and grenadine. Cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes, until the plums are soft (if they are not yet soft, add a touch more water and cook them for a little longer). Add lemon juice to taste. Pass it through a sieve for a finer purée, or for a fuller flavour simply blitz it with a stick blender until smooth.

To serve, loosen the edges of the pudding using a small knife and turn it out on to your chosen serving plate. Drizzle with the plum and grenadine syrup, and accompany with crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream.