Sticky ginger pear pudding

Sticky ginger pear pudding

A great last-minute alternative to a traditional Christmas pudding - plus it reheats in only five minutes

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 30 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. Put the syrup, sugar and milk into a saucepan, then bring to a simmer to dissolve. Leave to cool almost completely while you get on with everything else. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
  2. Put the butter, flour, bicarb, ground ginger and cinnamon into a food processor, then pulse until it forms fine crumbs. Generously butter a 1.4-litre pudding basin and sprinkle 1 tsp sugar into the bottom. Cut 3 of the ginger balls in half and put 5 halves, rounded-side down, into the bottom, like the points of a star. Cut one cheek from a pear, then slice through about 10 times, without cutting through the stalk end. Put this into the bottom of the bowl amongst the ginger, then press gently so that the pear fans out. Core, then thinly slice the remaining pear. Finely chop the rest of the ginger.
  3. Tip the cooled syrup mix and egg into a food processor, then quickly whizz with the dry ingredients to a batter. Take out the blade, then stir in the chopped ginger and sliced pear. Scrape the mix into the basin, then bake for 1 hr 20 mins until risen and dark golden, and a skewer comes out clean. Whatever you do, don't open the oven before 45 mins is up.
  4. To finish, gently melt the syrup ingredients in a pan together until the sugar dissolves, then boil briefly. Turn the pudding out of its basin just before serving, spoon over the syrup and serve with custard.
Try

Transporting the pudding

Once the pudding has baked, cool in the basin and cover. Make the syrup, cool and pour into a microwaveable container. At the party, reheat the pudding in the microwave for 5 mins on High, then turn out onto a serving plate. Warm the syrup for 1 min on Medium or until hot, then spoon over.

PER SERVING

457 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrate 79g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 8g, fibre 0g, sugar 62g, salt 0.99 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2009.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo quickcookmum

    12 December 2008

    quickcookmum commented on this recipe

    This sounds great. Does anyone think it could be cooked in a microwave? I do a great but simple sponge pudding in the microwave but that is almost a basic cake mix. Will try the oven method first.

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  • Binder photo jkcook

    13 December 2008

    jkcook rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Maggie Terry

    14 December 2008

    Maggie Terry commented on this recipe

    This is wonderful. Made it 2 days ahead and it served as if freshly made. All the family loved it, so we shall be having this one again and agan.

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  • Binder photo Maggie Terry

    14 December 2008

    Maggie Terry rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Forgot to rate this recipe but definitely 5 star.

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  • Binder photo Maggie Terry

    15 December 2008

    Maggie Terry commented on this recipe

    No, I did it exactly as it said and could not believe just how beautifully light it was so long after I made it. I really am thrilled with this recipe. I made it for a family get-together this last weekend as I have a birthday this week and as they are all working, it had to be Saturday we met.

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  • Binder photo Jane

    15 December 2008

    Jane commented on this recipe

    Hi there everyone - and quickcookmum in particular. I haven't made this pudding in the microwave, but I have too made sponge puds and Christmas puddings in the microwave before. The pud won't be as golden and gorgeous as it appears in the shot above though... I think that if you place the pudding on a plate and microwave on Medium (not high, I think that will burn the outside before the middle is done) for 15 mins it should be about right - if you can see that the middle starts to sink down a lot once the oven stops, put it on for another few mins. Once you're more or less certain it's set in the middle, give it a test with a skewer - if it comes out clean then it's ready. Leave to stand for 5 mins before you serve. Hope this is successful - let me know how you get on!

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  • Binder photo moonflower

    25 December 2008

    moonflower rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Amanda

    12 January 2009

    Amanda commented on this recipe

    A beautiful pud! I made this for a News Year Day family dinner and everyone loved it. I probably would not put as much brandy in the sauce next time as we felt is was quite over powering! I agree with other comments that this was equally if not better after a couple of days - what was left! An ideal winter dinner party pudding.

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  • Binder photo Bill&Beryl

    25 February 2009

    Bill&Beryl rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    very very good

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  • Binder photo JoFo

    05 March 2009

    JoFo rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was *amazing*! I was asked to bring a dessert for my family's Christmas lunch - I made this up a couple of days before hand, and it was then eaten on Boxing Day, with the anticipation that some would be left over. The whole lot disappeared! It didn't need custard - we served with single cream. Will definitely be making again.

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  • Binder photo Sharon Foote

    28 April 2009

    Sharon Foote commented on this recipe

    A wonderful pud. I served it up for friends and they loved it so much that I have now printed the recipe off, laminated it and given it to them, so they can also bask in the praise that will undoubtedly be heaped upon them when they serve it up!

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  • Binder photo annemieke

    27 September 2009

    annemieke rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Cafreb

    12 October 2009

    Cafreb commented on this recipe

    Looks great. Has anyone tried freezing it? I have loads of pears and would like to make it for dinner for friends in Decemeber.

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  • Binder photo Irish Merlot

    18 November 2009

    Irish Merlot commented on this recipe

    Question from someone who doesn't bake much; I'd like to try this recipe but am I missing something here - can you actually put a plastic pudding basin into the oven?

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  • Binder photo Hils

    07 December 2009

    Hils rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This recipe is amazing. It is light, mellow and truly yummy. I'm not really a Christmas Pudding afectionado, so I made this last year instead. It does have a lot of ginger in the recipe, but is mellow with it - my mother professes not to like ginger, but we caught her sneaking back for more! It is also very light. Perfect for after Christmas. Easy to transport as a gift or for a party. I served it with a dribble of cream rather than custard.

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  • Binder photo jo62

    08 December 2009

    jo62 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Mine sank a bit in the middle but I think that was because my basin was a bit smaller than it should have been and it overflowed a little when cooking. However it re-heated to a light, fragrant,gooey perfection and was much enjoyed by everyone with some thick pouring cream. Only 'negative' was that some of the ginger pieces on the top were perhaps a bit big and chewy but this did not detract from its gorgeousness - will definitely be making agin over the Xmas period !

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  • Binder photo mamma smith

    11 May 2010

    mamma smith rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very very yummy!!!

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  • Binder photo jaywalker

    28 November 2012

    jaywalker rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this pud today. Had no ground ginger but as there was alot of ginger balls in already i used mixed spice instead. I would also advise against using utterly butterly if you have no butter....the pudding didnt come out of the bowl in one piece ....there were many pieces.

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  • Binder photo jaywalker

    28 November 2012

    jaywalker commented on this recipe

    (Ooops, hit submit too early) Meant to add....terrific pud! heavenly with custard. Will defo be making again.

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  • Binder photo Penny

    01 December 2012

    Penny rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was lovely. My trial run confirms that I will make it for Xmas day :)

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 30 mins

Freezable

Ingredients

  • 85g golden syrup
  • 175g dark muscovado sugar , plus 1 tsp extra
  • 150ml milk
  • 100g butter , plus lots extra for greasing
  • 175g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 balls stem ginger from a jar
  • 2 ripe pears , peeled
  • 1 egg
  • custard , to serve

FOR THE GINGER BRANDY SYRUP

  • 50ml syrup from the ginger jar
  • 100ml brandy
  • 85g dark muscovado sugar
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PER SERVING

457 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrate 79g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 8g, fibre 0g, sugar 62g, salt 0.99 g

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