Gingerbread Christmas Pudding (no fruit)

This pudding is delicious made just as is.  You could add ½ cup white and/or dark chocolate chips, but in that case you would need to increase the size of your pudding basin.

For the pudding

110g very soft butter

100g brown sugar

125g treacle or golden syrup

2 eggs

180g self raising flour

2 teaspoons cocoa

3 teaspoons ground ginger

1 ½ teaspoons ground mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

60ml milk

40ml rum

For the rum glaze (optional)

100 ml rum

60g sugar

6 thin slices green ginger root

¼ teaspoon mixed spice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

50ml water

Method

Grease a 1 litre capacity pudding basin.  It’s also a good idea to line the base with a piece of baking paper, greasing over this as well.

Whisk the butter, brown sugar and treacle or golden syrup together until creamy.

Whisk in the eggs, then fold in the combined flour and spices alternatively with the milk and rum.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pudding basin and top with a sheet of foil, crimping to the edge of the basin to seal well.  Cover with a lid if your pudding basin has one.

Have ready a large pot (big enough to sit the pudding basin in) – fill this to 4cm depth with boiling water, keeping at simmering point over low heat.

Place the prepared pudding in this, cover pot with a lid and simmer for 1½ hours.  Check periodically to see if the water level has gone down.  If it has top up to original level with BOILING water.

When pudding is cooked, remove from the pot and leave to stand in the pudding basin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate.

Skewer the pudding in several places and then brush with the glaze.

To make the glaze

Place all ingredients in a very small saucepan.  Bring to the boil, stirring, and then simmer 7 minutes without stirring.

Leave to stand 5 minutes then remove the ginger. Cool to lukewarm (or thereabouts).

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Pickled Garlic Scapes

2 to 3 bunches garlic scapes, washed well

500ml white or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon mustard powder, optional

Method

Bring the vinegar, salt and sugar (and mustard powder if using) to the boil, boil for 3 minutes, then cool.

Sterilise heatproof jars and lids.

Blanch the scapes in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain well. Cut into 4cm pieces.

Place scapes in the jar/s. Cover with the prepared vinegar mixture and seal immediately.

Refrigerate.