The Great British Pudding Challenge – Sussex Pond Pudding

My Sussex Pond Pudding

To kick off the New Year 2008 with “The Great British Pudding Challenge”, I have selected a delicious pudding called, Sussex Pond Pudding. This is a suet steamed pudding revealing in its centre, golden buttery sugar syrup that trickles out from the pudding on cutting open to form a pond!

This Challenge is open to any Blogger, Wordpress etc, who wish to partake. I post a NEW "Great British Pudding Challenge" with recipe every month from the 1st to the end of each month before posting a NEW Challenge and recipe for the next month. This month, I am a little late due to the Festive Season, but I hope you will forgive me for this?!

Some Challengers prefer to make only small individual puddings each month; this is quite within keeping for the Challenge too! Of course custard, ice cream, clotted cream, sorbet etc is entirely your own choice to serve with your pudding(s).

The only thing I ask, if you’d kindly leave a comment on this Challenge post when you’ve completed your Challenge. I will then place a link into this post for everyone to view your gorgeous creation of Sussex Pond Pudding on your Blog, Wordpress etc, many thanks. Happy Challenge!! I would appreciate it if you could link your entry posting on your Blog to mine - thanks :)

If you are unsure what a pudding basin looks like, please do take a look at this [link].

Delicious golden buttery sugar syrup that oozes out

Sussex Pond Pudding

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
40g (1½ oz) breadcrumbs from day old bread
100g (4 oz) suet (I use vegetable suet)
150ml (¼ pint) of milk
175g (6 oz) cold butter, cut into small cubes
175g (6 oz) demerara sugar
1 large un-waxed lemon

Method

You will need a 900g (2lb) pudding basin, well greased with butter. Greased greaseproof paper, foil (pleated in the middle) and a little string to secure the paper and foil.

Place a steamer onto boil then lower to a simmer ready to place the pudding in.

Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, suet into the mixing bowl mix through gently with a wooden spoon to ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed. Mix to a suet dough with the milk, it should soft but firm enough to roll out.

Sprinkle a surface with flour, then roll the suet dough into a circle large enough to fit the basin and cut a triangle out, put the triangle aside, this will be used for the lid later. Line the basin with the suet dough making sure you seal down with your fingers where the suet dough meets the side seam, this is to stop the syrupy juices leaking out when steaming.

Take half the butter cubes and half the sugar and place into the bottom of the pastry. Prick the lemon all over with a skewer, then place the remaining butter and sugar on top of the lemon.

Fold down the edges of the suet pastry dough and brush a little water along the edge for sticking the lid on.

On a floured surface roll out the remaining suet dough into a circle large enough to make a lid, place on top making sure it is fully sealed.

Taking the buttered greaseproof paper, make a circle large enough to fold a pleat in the middle to place on top of the pudding, leaving enough to come down the sides, do the same with the foil too. Tie the string around the top half of the basin and secure tightly, then take the string over the top of the pudding tying down to make a handle to lift the pudding out. Place the pudding into the steamer and steam for 3½ - 4 hours, do not let the steamer boil dry and replenish the water as necessary.

To serve, lift out, remove the foil and loosen the sides with a small sharp knife. Put a deep dish over the basin and quickly turn the whole thing upside down. The pudding will ease out fully onto the plate.

You could serve this pudding with lemon custard; whipped cream etc, totally to your own liking.

Slice of Sussex Pond Pudding with lemon custard

Lemon Custard Recipe

Ingredients
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp caster sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp cornflour
275g (½ pint) single cream

Method

In a bowl whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together. In a saucepan bring the lemon juice and zest to the boil. Now add the cream and bring back to the boil, then pour onto the egg mixture mixing well with a whisk. Place the mixture back into the pan and cook gently for five minutes stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens. Don't let it boil or it will go like scrambled eggs. Remove from heat giving the custard a good whisk before pouring over the hot pudding.

Edit Post: David at Book The Cook has posted an exceptional Sussex Pond Pudding for this months "The Great British Pudding Challenge". Please do call by Davids Blog and have a peek and drool of his perfect pudding! Rosie x