Steamed orange marmalade pudding

Serves 4-6

You can't beat a good old steamed pudding, especially when it's served with thick custard, preferably with a few lumps in it. The addition of marmalade, home-made or bought, gives the pudding the stickiness of a treacle pudding with a bit of a zing.

You can't beat a good old steamed pudding, especially when it's served with thick custard, preferably with a few lumps in it. The addition of marmalade, home-made or bought, gives the pudding the stickiness of a treacle pudding with a bit of a zing.

You can use orange marmalade, or even an orange and lemon one, if you fancy a St Clement's-theme pudding.

100g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
Grated zest of 1 orange
100g self-raising flour, sieved
Butter for greasing
8tbsp chunky orange marmalade, plus some extra if you prefer to serve on top

Cream the butter and sugar, by hand or in a mixing machine, until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well mixed. Gently fold in the flour until well mixed.

Grease a large, or 4 small individual pudding basins, spoon 4 tablespoons of the marmalade into the bottoms, levelling it out with the back of a spoon, then add the pudding mixture. Cover with a circle of buttered greaseproof paper, then some kitchen foil and secure tightly with a piece of string around the edge of the bowl.

Put the bowl/bowls into a saucepan with boiling water half way up the bowl, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 11/2 hours for a large one or 40 minutes for small individual ones, topping up with water if necessary.

Remove from the pan and turn out on to a serving dish. You may just need to run a knife around the edge of the pudding basin to loosen it slightly. Serve with some thick custard and some more marmalade if you wish, heated up with a little water and spooned on top.