Basic sponge mix
This is a very basic sponge pudding mix. This can be either steamed or put into the oven to bake, and you can adapt it to suit yourselves. You can even flavour it to suit your taste e.g. add cocoa powder, pop in some fruit, raspberries, blackcurrants pineapple, treacle or syrup the options are limited to your own imagination, and all of them can be served with either cream, ice cream, custard or any fruit coulis you’re tempted to make!
100 grams butter or margarine
150 grams self -raising flour
a few drops of milk
100 grams caster or soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1. Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar till light and fluffy
2. Gradually add the eggs and mix well
3. Sieve in the flour and mix in gently. Add a little of the milk a drop at a time to make a dropping consistency. At this stage fold in whatever flavour you fancy
4. Place in a greased pudding dish/basin
5. If steaming cover securely and steam for about 1-11/2 hours. or it can be baked in the oven till cooked.
You can cook this in your microwave oven, but you will have to check the manufacturer's instructions (The microwave not the pudding!), but I find that it can become quite dry (The pudding not the microwave!)
Sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce. Yummy!!!
200-gram s/r flour
100-gram butter
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
150-gram dried dates
150-gram caster sugar
1 dessert spoon full vanilla essence
1. Chop the dates up small and place in a bowl with the bi-carb. Then just cover with boiling water and leave to stand
2. Cream the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy, then add the beaten egg
3. Gradually add the flour, vanilla, and dated mixing well
Bake in the oven gas 4 till cooked
For the toffee sauce
125-gram butter
150ml double cream
125-gram demerara sugar
Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and warm it up GENTLY and melt it all together