Steamed puddings

[Carole B.]

For the first time ever I'm cooking a kate and sidney steamed pudding for grub tonight,I've followed a recipe from the Readers Digest Farmhouse cookbook and it's now bubbling away on the stove....so O.K.people what's going to go wrong? Who's got some steamed pudding horror stories? or are they foolproof?
Carole .(she who now watches a boiling pot!)

[Jenny Green]

I've only ever made sweet ones, but they seem pretty foolproof, as long as you don't let them boil dry. In fact, they're one of the easier puddings, as long as you're home (and remember to make it) 3 hours before you want to eat it.

[Tigger]

I'm a fan too - either savoury or sweet. Gary Rhodes does a brilliant one with layered mushroom and one of this month's cookery magazines has ressurected the kate and sidney.

As for disasters - I recall my Gran cooking cabbage in a pressure cooker and it escaped heavenward when the weight broke free. We only used it as a large saucepan after that and I've always avoided them too.

[Chantal]

I remember forgetting about some potatoes in a pressure cooker and they shot out of the little release valve as mash. As it blocked, like a prat I took the valve off and we had mash on the ceiling. It was funny though, but a bit dangerous. My neighbour borrowed my pressure cooker and burnt the bottom out by forgetting about beetroot. I've never replaced it.

[Carole B.]

The kate and sidney turned out good and was well recieved by all on a rather parky night...I shall do it again but it's definately winter fodder! I might try a sweet pud next,I can remember my Gran doing a great treacle sponge.
What ever happened to pressure cookers? They used to be the must have in the kitchen,perhaps microwaves took over in respect of cutting down cooking times.
Was your mash a new form of artexing Chantal?
Carole.

[Tigger]

If you're going to try a sweet suet pudding, can I suggest Sussex Pond Pudding. Another one for a healthy appetite though!

[Johnboy]

For me Spotted Dick takes some beating with wonderful creamy Custard. Very zzzz making but even writing about it may have germinated a thought and I have never made one but I'm game to try.

[Beccy]

Oh Sussex Pond Pudding, mmmmm.

You can cook most 'steamed' puddings in a microwave in a fraction of the time it would take to steam them, so I guess that is one reason for the decrease in use of pressure cookers.

A friend wanted to use mine when we were students, I was going out and gave her what I thought were carefull instructions on how to use it.
Got back, went to make myself a drink, thought 'why has someone cleaned the ceiling above the cooker?' I had said 'if you want to depressurise quickly put the pressure cooker under the cold tap, when it stops hissing just nudge the weights to be sure the pressure is down and if there is no more hissing take the weights off'. She heard 'if you want to depressurise quickly take the weight off'! She has never touched a pressure cooker since.

[Johnboy]

I am a great believer of the use of pressure cookers and to that end I have just purchased a new Stainless Steel one. It was a bit pricey but to me well worth it. The removable weights have gone replaced by a simple lever sytem and the pressures are slightly different to the old Aluminium Hi-Dome one but the results are just as good.I for one would not be without it.
The weights used are now 8lb and 12lb instead of 10lb and 15lb.

[lizzie]

I use my pressure cooker a lot. Wouldn't be without it. Also use the pan if doing a stove top stew etc. Use if for my steamed puds too but don't put the weights on it, just use the pan.

[John]

We are big fans of pressure cookers too. An old one we use nearly every day to quickly cook up kitchen scraps for the chickens. Another is used now and again for stews, mince, various soups and bacon/gammon joints. The Hi-Dome is good for steaming puddings and bottling fruits (using the pan with trivet + lid) with no pressure, as Lizzie does. Its ideal for steaming the Christmas pudding which takes about 8 hours as with the lid on, the pan is much less likely to boil dry.

I can still get spare sealing rings and so on but will soon need a spare handle - can't find these available anywhere. Any ideas?

John

[Malk]

Anybody got a good recipes for sweet puddings. I don't have a pressure steamer but would be happy to boil it forever. Treacle or chocolate if possible.

Ta (pregnant and hungry for everything sweet)

[Anonymous]

Hi Malk,

I am assuming that you have a microwave.

The following is a recipe from an old M&S cookbook from 1983. The max temperatures were for a microwave of 700 watts. Obviously, the more modern ovens are of a much higher maximum temperature, and some adjustments will need to be made with timings.

TREACLE PUDDING

3 tablespoons golden syrup
4 oz self raising flour
2 oz shredded suet
2 oz caster sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons milk
2 drops vanilla essence

Place the golden syrup in the bottom of a lightly greased basin.

Mix the flour, suet and sugar together. Beat in the egg, water, milk and vanilla essence. Spoon the mixture on to the syrup in the basin.

Cover the basin with cling film and cook for two minutes. Remove the cling film from the basin and cook for a further two minutes.

Leave the pudding to stand for two minutes before turning out and serving.

There are many variations of this basic pudding, ie you could substitute some of the flour with cocoa,
add sultanas to make spotted dick. The variations are endless.

Doesn't do a lot for the waistline though. Tasty as it all is!!

valmarg

[pigletwillie]

yum yum Valmarg, this ones in the folder ready for trying out.

[Malk]

Nope don't have a microwave, but I'll do my best.

Where do you buy suet these days? Can't say I've ever seen it in the supermarket. Butchers?