Cookbook challenge 13- Steamed pudding with caramelised orange

 

As always the 'Delicious' Magazine never seems to fail and I was up for a quick simple dessert and this fitted the bill perfectly.

This is an amazing light pudding and orange just lifts to the next level. I halved the ingredients as I didn’t have a 1.25L pudding basin and had to make do with a 0.5L pudding basin.

It still turned out pretty good. I put it in the oven for 1hr but it could of possibly be in there for less but it tasted pretty good especially with the caramelised orange and a good dollop of double cream.

Ingredients serves 4

125g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups (250g) self raising flour sifted

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

1/3 cup (80mL) milk

Caramelised orange

2 oranges unpeeled sliced into thin rounds

2 cups (440g) caster sugar

Thickened cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a 1.25L pudding basin.

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until thick and pale.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the flour and zest, followed by the milk until the mixture is a soft dropping consistency.

Pour the batter into the pudding basin. Layer a sheet of foil on top of a sheet of baking paper, then folk a pleat through the centre. Use to cover the pudding and tie with string. (I used a rubber band).

Place in a roasting pan then fill the pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin.

Bake in the oven for 1 1/2hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes clean. Stand for 5 mins.

Meanwhile, place the orange slices in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat then drain. Repeat this blanching process twice. Place orange slices and sugar in a saucepan and add 2 cups of (500mL) water. Bring to a gentle simmer stirring to dissolve the sugar and then cook for 10-12 minutes or until the orange slices are tender and translucent. Set aside to cool in the syrup.

Turn the pudding out onto a platter and top with caramelised orange slices then drizzle with syrup and cream to serve.

 

Surry Hills Walkabout

Today we went discovering Surry Hills. It had been awhile since I traipsed about the area and I was on a task to find a present. Meandering through the busy areas of Darling Harbour, Chinatown, Hillsong conference at Entertainment Centre, I’d forgotten that it was school holidays so it was an obstacle course of people, prams and the mini train.

Once finally free of the crowded streets, we made our way up along Devonshire Street along Crown Street and popped into Vividshop which is a great little store with funky babywear, jewellery, homewares and fashion from India and the South east and Mushu which is another great bag , accessories and on Crown Street. Managed to pick up some great greeting cards from Vividshop.

Then onto

Bourke Street

where we stopped for lunch. There was already a line up at Bourke Street Bakery but the café opposite ‘The Book kitchen’ is where we stopped in. Roomy enough for prams I went for the breakfast special of haloumi, asparagus and poached eggs on toasted bread with lemon oil. Yum Yum. Jaeminkins had managed to sleep for half an hour and without fail as soon as the food came, he awoke.

Luckily I was prepared with an assortment of snacks. I had a tub of grapes, fruit salad, peanut butter sandwich, broccoli +apple+ tuna+ sweet potato mix. At the moment Jaeminkins loses interest in eating just one type of food so I’ve had to mix it up. So it may be the peanut sandwich and then the grapes, and then back to the peanut butter sandwich and just switching it around til he’s eaten enough.

We then went to the park and the bubs play around whilst enjoying the sweet tarts from Bourke Street Bakery. We tried the Ginger crème brulee, chocolate with marshmallow and raspberry and the rhubarb almond tart. Yum Yum.

 Oh I nearly forgot to mention, Jaeminkins discovered eating dirt and seemed to enjoy it quite thoroughly.

We had another wonder along

Crown Street

and popped into Paper2, a store with fine stationary, designer pens. This is where I found a great gift for my friend’s baby naming ceremony.

As we made our downhill descent on

Albion Street

with the prams, we giggled as we saw a guy pushing a pram uphill and he knew we laughing at him.

To end the day we stopped into Cloth and admired the screen printed textiles and then walked over to Shelf/Life. I loved this store it just had gorgeous pieces for the home, it reminded me of the funky stores in Fitzroy Melbourne.

It brought back a lot of memories walking around Surry Hills and I was amazed at how much has changed. Definitely coming back to check out the rest of the shops=)