Another dish from the epic Marguerite Patten Recipe Cards set, birthplace of Sausage Boatees.
This is Hot Puddings Card No. 7–Golden Cap Pudding!
I, being frugal, and only one person, chose the more economical pudding:
1/4 cup margarine, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup lfour, and mix with milk or water to a soft dropping consistency.
I followed the directions. Mostly (but that will be addressed later). I used my stand mixer. I folded in the flour with a spatula. I buttered my bowl, filled the bottom with some Aunt Jemima Maple Syrup (yes, fake syrup!), spread the batter on top, covered the bowl with wax paper, and then steamed it.
Getting it out of the bowl and onto a plate was tricky since the bowl was all steamy. A pair of fashionable, yellow rubber gloves did the trick.
I want to bring to your attention the fact that the economical version did NOT include any baking powder.
Which could be the reason why instead of a gorgeous, light, golden dome, my pudding looks like—-
A diseased brain. A abnormal, maple syrup-covered brain.
And there was nothing light about this. Look at the inside of my pudding brain:
FAIL.
It was like a giant, boiled dumpling.
I don’t know if baking powder could have saved it. Or perhaps that is what all hot puddings look like?
If that is the case: oh, British People. Perhaps the food is why the pilgrims crossed the Atlantic to the Americas.
Greetings,
My Mom had these cards when I was a kid and got them every month and had the recipe organizer and everything. I was intrigued by this recipe and I made it and it turned out perfectly and tasted wonderful! I remember wanting to make it again and I couldn’t find the recipe anywhere no matter how hard I searched and today I was looking through my dessert recipes and thought I would just try typing out the name of the recipe and here it was! I am so happy and I will certainly be making it again after about 45 years! Thanks so much for posting it on the internet!
Diane, you are very welcome! What a great story. Please send photos once you make it!
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I agree it would need baking powder. Is ‘all purpose’ flour plain or self raising (flour with baking powder inside it already) – also, as flours have changed in quality since the 70s what rose then might not rise now!
First off, I think using golden syrup would have helped instead of the recommended corn or maple. Secondly, here are some photos of Paul prepping a pudding basin (and there’s also a link to a BBC Good Food video): http://www.thepastonaplate.com/2011/07/traditional-british-food-heg-peg-dump.html. Thirdly, I totally agree that baking powder is your friend. Don’t give up on steamed puddings! They can be really fabulous!
Well, look at you with the steamed pudding!
What is golden syrup?
And, do you think I could use a rubber band instead of twine? Or would that muck up the flavor somehow?
Golden Syrup is one of Britain’s great treasures. Get your address to me STAT and I will send you some xx
And I’ll send you some Old Bay!
No idea about the rubber band. We just use twine because that’s what the BBC suggested and we had some on hand. OMG, get ye some golden syrup. It’s like liquid caramel. (It’s actually a by-product of sugar refining, like molasses.)
OK, golden syrup is on the shopping list. If I can find it.
Yeah, I think lack of baking powder is the culprit…
Oh dear. 😀
Should have saved this for Halloween — “Zombie Dinner Is Served!”
PS – you’ll be pleased to hear that in the UK this post is sponsored by Red Stripe Lager. A really good ad that you can see here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ-RIbBFQAk
Jx
I love the ad!
What a disappointment to make a lovely spinster pud for one and have it turn out like a dumpling…
Hmm – your resident British agony aunt here… I am wondering whether it might have been something to do with your steaming method? I’m no expert but when my mum steams puddings she has water 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pudding, which is balanced on something so that it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan. She also “pleats” whatever she puts on top to hold the steam in and then secures it with string. I think she also puts a lid on the steamer – I’ll ask… But it looks as though you only had a little bit of water in the bottom of your wok and a loose paper lid? This may be an “after” photo though in which case you can say “MYOB” as my brothers used to say to me (mind your own business).
I have checked my spreadsheet of film star recipes and have spotted the following: Ann Dvorak Fruit Steamed Pudding, a Deborah Paget Steamed Plum Pudding (wrong time of year methinks) a Frances Langford Steamed Fig Pudding, a Phyllis Brooks Steamed Chocolate Pudding with Hot Sauce, a Rosemary Ames Steamed Cranberry Pudding or a Sylvia Sidney Steamed Chocolate Pudding. I will have a go at one and report back. It will be an excuse to go and buy a one person pudding basin.
I did steam with the lid on–I steamed it like I would dumplings–on the grate. But putting the bowl actually in the water makes much more sense.
I have a whole sereis of “hot pudding” recipes, so I may have to take a whack at another one with your suggestions. You’re so smart, Jenny!
The have 1-person “pudding basins?” I don’t know what that is, but it sounds intriguing.