Chocolate, Marmalade and Ginger Steamed Pudding | Guest Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is a steamed pudding and why is it called a pudding? ›

The two meanings of "pudding"

American puddings are closer to what the Brits would call "custard." A British pudding is a dish, savory or sweet, that's cooked by being boiled or steamed in something: a dish, a piece of cloth, or even animal intestine.

Use a small upturned heatproof saucer at the bottom of your pan to protect your pudding bowl from the intense heat (which may cause your basin to crack). As long as there is a gentle simmer and steam is being created in your pan then your water is hot enough to cook your pudding.

Place the pudding into the steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water, or use a large saucepan with a saucer in the bottom. Steam for several hours, or as recipe indicates. Top up water when necessary. When the pudding is steamed, cut the string around the bowl.

Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hrs, topping up with water as necessary. Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in new baking parchment, foil and string. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.

Baked, steamed, and boiled puddings

These puddings are baked, steamed, or boiled. Depending on its ingredients, such a pudding may be served as a part of the main course or as a dessert. Steamed pies consisting of a filling completely enclosed by suet pastry are also known as puddings.

Pudding, in other words, can refer to a whole host of differently prepared and enjoyed dishes in the UK, and what we call pudding in the U.S. might be called custard overseas.

As for all puddings, it should be stored in a cool, dry place until Christmas Day. For the US our preference would be to use Pyrex mixing bowls for steaming Christmas puddings.

Make sure the base of the pudding bowl is not in direct contact with the base of the pan. -Add enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the pudding bowl. -Cover the pan tightly with the lid. Steam the pudding according to the recipe instructions.

Nigella suggests using a plastic pudding basin with a clip-on lid as these are easy to use and not too expensive. If you have difficulties finding a pudding basin then a Pyrex bowl, or similar heatproof glass bowl, could be used.

Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer through the foil and parchment lid into the centre of the pudding. If the skewer still has some wet mixture on it, return the pudding to the steamer for a further 15-20 mins, then check again.

How do I steam a pudding without a steamer? ›

Generally you would place the pudding in a deep roasting tin or a casserole. Then add boiling water so that it is about half way up the side of the basin and then cover the whole thing with a tent of strong foil which needs to be pinched tightly around the edge.

Then you would be able to insert a skewer to test if the sponge is cooked fully, i.e. the skewer should come out clean when inserted into the centre of the sponge. If it is not ready then put a piece of foil or clingfilm over the top and steam for a further 15 to 30 minutes.

Ideally we would suggest that when the pudding is made it is steamed for 8 hours (the combined time of the first and second steamings) as the steaming is important for the flavour of the pudding. The pudding can then be microwaved to reheat it on Christmas Day.

The pudding will not be particularly dark in colour after the first steaming but darkens on the second steaming. If you cooked the pudding in a slow cooker then sometimes the temperature isn't high enough to fully melt the suet and you should do the second steaming in the regular way.

The first puddings were neither wobbly nor eaten for dessert, however. They were more like sausages: made from minced meat, a grain such as oatmeal, dried fruits, spices, and salt, and stuffed into a casing. The word pudding (first used circa 1200) in fact comes from boudin, a French word for a type of sausage.

steamed pudding in British English

(stiːmd ˈpʊdɪŋ ) noun. cookery. a traditional pudding containing fat, sugar, eggs, flour, and other ingredients, which is steamed.

Steamed puddings are a traditional British dessert at Christmastime. (“Bring us some figgy pudding!”) For wealthy Brits, steamed plum puddings were lavish affairs, loaded with eggs, butter, spices and even brandy.