Boiled puddings

PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES MAKES 6

You will need to start this recipe a day ahead.

1kg dried mixed fruit

1 large fresh apple (200g), grated coarsely

½ cup (125ml) orange-flavoured liqueur

1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind

2 teaspoons mixed spice 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 125g butter, softened

½ cup (110g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups (140g) stale gluten-free white breadcrumbs

½ cup (60g) tapioca flour

1 cup (135g) gluten-free plain flour 6 x 35cm squares unbleached calico (see note)

1 Combine the mixed fruit, apple, liqueur, rind, mixed spice and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; stand at room temperature overnight.

2 Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until pale. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir egg mixture into fruit mixture.

Add breadcrumbs and combined sifted flours; stir to combine.

3 Fill a boiler three-quarters full of hot water, cover with a tight-fitting lid; bring to the boil. Have ready 1 metre of kitchen string, plus extra gluten-free flour. Wearing thick rubber gloves and using tongs, dip pudding cloths, one at a time, into boiling water; boil for 1 minute, then remove. Squeeze excess water from cloth. Spread hot cloths on bench; rub 2 tablespoons of the extra flour into centre of each cloth to cover an area about 20cm in diameter, leaving flour a little thicker in centre of cloth where ‘skin’ of the pudding needs to be thickest. Divide pudding mixture equally among cloths, placing in centre of each cloth. Gather cloths around mixture, avoiding any deep pleats; pat into round shapes. Tie cloths tightly with string, as close to mixture as possible. Tie loops in string. Lower three puddings into boiling water. Cover, then boil for 2 hours, replenishing with boiling water as necessary to maintain the water level in the boiler.

4 Lift puddings from water, one at a time, using wooden spoons through string loops. Do not put pudding on bench; suspend from spoon by placing over rungs of an upturned stool or wedging the spoon in a drawer. Twist ends of cloth around string to avoid them touching pudding; hang for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining puddings.

5 Place puddings on board; cut string, carefully peel back cloth.

Turn puddings onto plate, then carefully peel cloth away completely. Stand 20 minutes or until skin darkens and pudding becomes firm.

6 Serve puddings with store-bought gluten-free custard and maple syrup, if you like.

from the Test Kitchen

You need 6 x 35cm squares unbleached calico for the pudding cloths. If new, soak calico overnight in cold water. The next day, boil calico for 20 minutes, then rinse in cold water before use.