A steamed pudding is an easy comfort food idea for a family winter dinner. To add drama and a sense of occasion flame the pudding.

I used my Mum’s overnight steamed pudding recipe that is fruity, but lighter than a true plum pudding – more like a sticky date pudding in consistency. It’s real easy to make, economic, egg free and you can replace the butter with oil.

Overnight Steamed Pudding

Ingredients:

2 cups hot water

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup currants

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup of rolled oats

1 medium apple grated

1 tsp of mixed spice (I used my favourite spice mix speculaa)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Method:

Melt butter in the hot water in a large mixing bowl, then add sugar, fruit and rolled oats.

Finally add the flour, spice, baking soda and salt and stir.

Don’t be alarmed at It’s runny consistency.

Pour into the pudding bowl and stand overnight.

The original recipe didn’t include rolled oats or apple – this is my addition because I like to add another grain and fruit. It worked really well but you can just use 2 cups of flour instead of oats and not include apple..

I also recommend placing a circle of baking paper in the bottom as there’s nothing worse than the pudding not coming out of the bowl.

I used a stainless bowl and lid that just clips on but if you dont have a bowl with lid then cover your chosen bowl with a couple of layers of baking paper and secure with string around. Even with a lid I do like the extra safety of string holding it altogether.

Next day put the pudding in water in a large stock pot, making sure the water in the pot doesnt go over the top and seep into the pudding . This is especially important if you just have paper on top. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

To Flame the Pudding…

First after cooking run a knife around the edge of the pudding. Upturn onto a heat proof plate. Then gently heat about 1/4 cup of brandy (avoid boiling stage) and have matches ready. Pour the brandy over the pudding and immediately follow with a lighted match having someone ready to turn off the lights and magic blue flames will appear.

FORAGING: GORSE FLOWERS

Winter is a tough time of the year to forage flowers but pesky gorse can be found flowering in winter. Gorse Ulex europaeus loves the climate in Aotearoa so much so that it flowers twice a year. Bees rely on year round blossums so gorse is welcomed by bees, not so for farmers and gardeners.

I have enjoyed the summer sweet coconut smell of gorse but didnt realise until I read Foraging New Zealand by Peter Langlands that the flowers are edible. I always double check that plants can be consumed and Peter is one of our foremost foraging experts. Avoid picking flowers from areas previously sprayed with herbicides.

As edible flowers are limited at this time of the year, I tried some gorse flowers and they are sweet – not at all bitter.

Gorse flowers were my foraging contribution to the farmstore kitchen this week and they were used to decorate the much loved ginger apricot cake.  Not sure that the Augustine customers realised they were eating gorse but we didn’t get any complaints.  

A steamed pudding is an easy comfort food idea for a family winter dinner. To add drama and a sense of occasion flame the pudding.

I used my Mum’s overnight steamed pudding recipe that is fruity, but lighter than a true plum pudding – more like a sticky date pudding in consistency. It’s real easy to make, economic, egg free and you can replace the butter with oil.

Overnight Steamed Pudding

Ingredients:

2 cups hot water

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup currants

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup of rolled oats

1 medium apple grated

1 tsp of mixed spice (I used my favourite spice mix speculaa)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Method:

Melt butter in the hot water in a large mixing bowl, then add sugar, fruit and rolled oats.

Finally add the flour, spice, baking soda and salt and stir.

Don’t be alarmed at It’s runny consistency.

Pour into the pudding bowl and stand overnight.

The original recipe didn’t include rolled oats or apple – this is my addition because I like to add another grain and fruit. It worked really well but you can just use 2 cups of flour instead of oats and not include apple..

I also recommend placing a circle of baking paper in the bottom as there’s nothing worse than the pudding not coming out of the bowl.

I used a stainless bowl and lid that just clips on but if you dont have a bowl with lid then cover your chosen bowl with a couple of layers of baking paper and secure with string around. Even with a lid I do like the extra safety of string holding it altogether.

Next day put the pudding in water in a large stock pot, making sure the water in the pot doesnt go over the top and seep into the pudding . This is especially important if you just have paper on top. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

To Flame the Pudding…

First after cooking run a knife around the edge of the pudding. Upturn onto a heat proof plate. Then gently heat about 1/4 cup of brandy (avoid boiling stage) and have matches ready. Pour the brandy over the pudding and immediately follow with a lighted match having someone ready to turn off the lights and magic blue flames will appear.

FORAGING: GORSE FLOWERS

Winter is a tough time of the year to forage flowers but pesky gorse can be found flowering in winter. Gorse Ulex europaeus loves the climate in Aotearoa so much so that it flowers twice a year. Bees rely on year round blossums so gorse is welcomed by bees, not so for farmers and gardeners.

I have enjoyed the summer sweet coconut smell of gorse but didnt realise until I read Foraging New Zealand by Peter Langlands that the flowers are edible. I always double check that plants can be consumed and Peter is one of our foremost foraging experts. Avoid picking flowers from areas previously sprayed with herbicides.

As edible flowers are limited at this time of the year, I tried some gorse flowers and they are sweet – not at all bitter.

Gorse flowers were my foraging contribution to the farmstore kitchen this week and they were used to decorate the much loved ginger apricot cake.  Not sure that the Augustine customers realised they were eating gorse but we didn’t get any complaints.  

A steamed pudding is an easy comfort food idea for a family winter dinner. To add drama and a sense of occasion flame the pudding.

I used my Mum’s overnight steamed pudding recipe that is fruity, but lighter than a true plum pudding – more like a sticky date pudding in consistency. It’s real easy to make, economic, egg free and you can replace the butter with oil.

Overnight Steamed Pudding

Ingredients:

2 cups hot water

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup currants

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup of rolled oats

1 medium apple grated

1 tsp of mixed spice (I used my favourite spice mix speculaa)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Method:

Melt butter in the hot water in a large mixing bowl, then add sugar, fruit and rolled oats.

Finally add the flour, spice, baking soda and salt and stir.

Don’t be alarmed at It’s runny consistency.

Pour into the pudding bowl and stand overnight.

The original recipe didn’t include rolled oats or apple – this is my addition because I like to add another grain and fruit. It worked really well but you can just use 2 cups of flour instead of oats and not include apple..

I also recommend placing a circle of baking paper in the bottom as there’s nothing worse than the pudding not coming out of the bowl.

I used a stainless bowl and lid that just clips on but if you dont have a bowl with lid then cover your chosen bowl with a couple of layers of baking paper and secure with string around. Even with a lid I do like the extra safety of string holding it altogether.

Next day put the pudding in water in a large stock pot, making sure the water in the pot doesnt go over the top and seep into the pudding . This is especially important if you just have paper on top. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

To Flame the Pudding…

First after cooking run a knife around the edge of the pudding. Upturn onto a heat proof plate. Then gently heat about 1/4 cup of brandy (avoid boiling stage) and have matches ready. Pour the brandy over the pudding and immediately follow with a lighted match having someone ready to turn off the lights and magic blue flames will appear.

FORAGING: GORSE FLOWERS

Winter is a tough time of the year to forage flowers but pesky gorse can be found flowering in winter. Gorse Ulex europaeus loves the climate in Aotearoa so much so that it flowers twice a year. Bees rely on year round blossums so gorse is welcomed by bees, not so for farmers and gardeners.

I have enjoyed the summer sweet coconut smell of gorse but didnt realise until I read Foraging New Zealand by Peter Langlands that the flowers are edible. I always double check that plants can be consumed and Peter is one of our foremost foraging experts. Avoid picking flowers from areas previously sprayed with herbicides.

As edible flowers are limited at this time of the year, I tried some gorse flowers and they are sweet – not at all bitter.

Gorse flowers were my foraging contribution to the farmstore kitchen this week and they were used to decorate the much loved ginger apricot cake.  Not sure that the Augustine customers realised they were eating gorse but we didn’t get any complaints.