Sticky Toffee pudding

Sticky toffee pudding Veg
Nigel Slater made a classic hot British pudding for actor Richard E Grant, with toffee sauce.
Ingredients
For the pudding
150g/5oz dates, stones removed, chopped
250ml/9fl oz hot water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
60g/2¼ oz butter, softened
60g/2¼ oz caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
150g/5oz self-raising flour
For the toffee sauce
200g/7oz butter
400g/14oz brown sugar
vanilla pod, split
250ml/9fl oz double cream
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 180C/370F/Gas 4.
Mix the dates, bicarbonate of soda and the water together in a bowl and leave to soak for ten minutes.
In a clean bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Technique: Creaming butter by hand

Watch technique
0:50 mins
Still stirring the butter mixture, gradually add the eggs, making sure they are well mixed in.
Still stirring, gradually add the flour, then add the date mixture.
Pour the mixture into a 20cm/8in square cake tin. Place into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through.
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a thick bottomed pan over a medium heat.
Add the brown sugar, vanilla pod and cream and stir well. Simmer for five minutes.
To serve, spoon out a portion of the pudding onto a plate and pour over the hot toffee sauce.

Semolina pudding

Ingredients.

30g Butter

750ml Milk

100g Semolina

100g Sugar

Freshly Grated Cinnamon

2 Medium Egg Yolks

Jam to serve

Pre-heat the oven to Gas 4, 180 centigrade. Smear the inside of a large pudding basin generously with butter and set aside. Heat the milk until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and slowly add the semolina whisking with a baloon whisk. This should avoid the dreaded school pudding lumps! Once the semolina is added return to the heat and bring carefully to the boil stirring constantly and the mixture is smooth.

Remove from the heat again and stir in the cinnamon, butter, sugar and egg yolks and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the pudding basin, grate over some more cinnamon, and bake in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes.

Serve on its own or with a generous spoonful of your favourite jam.

Treacle sponge pudding

Ingredients
2 tbsp golden syrup, plus extra for serving
115 g plain flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
115 g brown sugar
75 g margarine
25 g unsalted butter
1 tbsp brandy
custard or clotted cream, for serving
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Method
1. Generously butter a 900ml pudding basin. Place the buttered pudding basin into the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up the butter.

2. Once cooled, remove from fridge and add the golden syrup to the base of the basin.

3. In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, baking powder, eggs, brown sugar, margarine, unsalted butter and brandy and mix together thoroughly.

4. Spoon the flour mixture into the basin, over the golden syrup.

5. Take a large piece of tin foil, fold it in half and grease one side thoroughly.

6. Cover the pudding with the greased tin foil, pleating the foil a few times to allow room for the pudding's expansion.

7. Fasten the foil to the rim of the pudding basin with string.

8. Place the covered pudding basin in a large steamer.

9. Steam over a medium heat for 1 hour 30 minutes. Make sure that the steamer does not boil dry, topping up with boiling water as needed.

10. Once the pudding is risen and cooked, turn it out from the pudding basin. Serve with golden syrup and clotted cream or custard.

Apple crumble

Ingredients
For the crumble
300g/10½oz plain flour, sieved pinch of salt
175g/6oz unrefined brown sugar
200g/7oz unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
Knob of butter for greasing
For the filling
450g/1lb apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm/½in pieces
50g/2oz unrefined brown sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Technique: Rubbing in

Watch technique
0:46 mins
Place the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit.
Butter a 24cm/9in ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.
Serve with thick cream or custard.