MY LIGHT STEAMED PUDDING

I find this light pudding much more popular than the traditional heavily fruited Christmas pudding – and the whisky cream (below right) is irresistible.

Serves6

l 210g (7½oz) butter, softened, plus extra to grease

l Finely grated zest of 1 orange l 3tbsp maple syrup, plus optional extra to drizzle

l 3 bay leaves

l 210g (7½oz) light brown soft sugar

l 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

l 100g (3½oz) self-raising flour l 1½tsp baking powder

l 1tsp ground cloves

l A pinch of fine sea salt

l Whisky, to flambé (optional)

Grease a 1.2ltr pudding basin with butter, scatter the orange zest in the bottom and pour the maple syrup on top. Put the bay leaves in the middle and press down. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and light. With the motor running on low speed, slowly add the beaten eggs, making sure each addition is incorporated before the next is made. Sift in the flour, baking powder, cloves and salt and fold through with a large metal spoon.

Spoon the mixture into the pudding basin. Lay a buttered and pleated sheet of greaseproof paper on top of the bowl, buttered side down (the pleat will allow the pudding to rise during cooking), and cover with a sheet of pleated foil of the same size. Secure tightly with string under the rim of the basin.

Stand the basin on a trivet or an upturned ramekin in a large saucepan. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin and bring to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over a low heat for 1½ hours, checking the water level every 30 minutes or so and topping up with boiling water as needed.

To check if the pudding is ready, unwrap and insert a skewer into the middle; it should come out clean. To unmould, loosen the sides of the sponge, then invert a warmed serving plate over the hot pudding and turn both over to unmould the pudding onto the plate. Drizzle with some more maple syrup, if you wish.

To flambé the pudding, warm a little whisky in a small pan and ignite it at the table with a match, then pour onto the pudding. Serve with whisky cream (below right).