Sticky date & raisin pudding

Sticky date & raisin pudding

Keep everyone happy with this sticky toffee-like steamed basin pudding packed with dried fruit

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 3 hrs 45 mins

Method

  1. Put the dates, raisins, milk and brandy or rum in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins until the fruit is soft and the liquid has been absorbed - don't worry if it looks a little curdled. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, generously butter a 1.2-litre pudding basin.
  2. To prepare your steamer, place a snugly fitting upturned bowl or saucer in the base of a large, deep saucepan, big enough to hold your pudding basin. Cut out a large circle of baking parchment and one of foil, both 5cm wider than the rim of your pudding basin. Make a sharp pleat down the centre of both, then butter one side of the parchment - this will be your lid. Set aside. Boil the kettle for the steamer.
  3. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating again until well combined. Finally, add the flour, mixed spice, orange zest, date mixture and a pinch of salt, and stir everything well with a spatula until there are no visible lumps of flour. Tip the cake mixture into your pudding basin. Cover the bowl with the parchment, butter-side down and pleat on top, then the foil. Push the sides of the lid down, then tie a piece of string securely under the lip of the basin. Use any overhanging string to create a handle to help you lift the pudding.
  4. Stand the pudding basin on top of the upturned bowl or saucer in the saucepan and fill the pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover the pan with a lid and leave to steam for 2½ hrs, topping up with boiling water if the level gets low. Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre. If the skewer has any uncooked mixture on it, return it to the pan to steam for another 15 mins, then check again. Once cooked, you can cover the pudding with clean baking parchment and foil and keep for up to a week. Re-steam the pudding for 1 hr before serving.

PER SERVING

418 kcalories, protein 6.0g, carbohydrate 50.0g, fat 17.0 g, saturated fat 10.0g, fibre 3.0g, sugar 36.0g, salt 0.6 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2012.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Mossy

    20 December 2012

    Mossy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    My children and I made this on Monday and we ate it today (three days later). Everybody enjoyed it. The orangey flavour worked really well. I also made the salted caramel sauce and that went down well, but I think I will add either less or no salt if I make that again.

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  • Binder photo Elaine Mary

    25 December 2012

    Elaine Mary rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made it for Xmas dinner and we really enjoyed it, light, fruity and flavourful. I halved the quantities and substituted a medium dry sherry for the brandy. Cooked it in a pint basin, it was cooked by 1 hour 40 min (I had meant to try it at 90 min). I served it with the caramel sauce and ginger ice-cream (from May 10 GF but used half the ginger suggested) and that worked really well. Will certainly cook it again.

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  • Binder photo Trevorl

    26 December 2012

    Trevorl commented on this recipe

    I tried this pudding on Christmas day and was delighted on the result.It was excellent with the caramel sauce and will certainly make it again

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  • Binder photo agnafried

    29 December 2012

    agnafried rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this for Christmas day as lighter than ordinary pudding-did not make the toffee sauce as my family wanted cream or custard or brnady butter on it.Really successful none left at all usually when I use Christmas pudding I throw the remains out to the birds but not this year - will definitely make this again and have passed the recipe on. (the birds are NOT happy!!)

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 3 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 250g stoned dates , roughly chopped
  • 100g raisins
  • 150ml milk
  • 150ml brandy or rum
  • 140g butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 50g soft brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 175g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • zest 1 orange
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PER SERVING

418 kcalories, protein 6.0g, carbohydrate 50.0g, fat 17.0 g, saturated fat 10.0g, fibre 3.0g, sugar 36.0g, salt 0.6 g

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