Cranberry, Clementine and Cardamom Pudding

An alternative pudding for Christmas Day complete with festive looks. This pudding can be made a day or two before Christmas then reheated. Add 25g of chopped cranberries to the pudding mixture if liked.

Serves 6

1 x 1 litre (2 pint) pudding basin

A little butter

Decoration:

2 clementines, sliced

Whole dried cranberries

Pudding:

100g butter, softened

100g golden caster sugar

2 eggs, beaten

100g self raising flour

50g ground almonds

Seeds of 6 cardamom pods ground, or 1tsp cardamom powder

Grated zest of 2 clementines and 1 tbsp juice 

Method

Place a little butter on the base of the basin and put it to melt on the Warming Plate or at the back of the AGA (use a piece of folded kitchen paper to protect the enamel). Brush the melted butter around the basin; decorate the interior with dried cranberries and slices of clementine.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy and gradually beat in the eggs. Fold in the flour, ground almonds, cardamom, grated clementine zest and the juice. Cover the top of the basin with a circle of baking parchment then a double layer of foil, secured with string or an elastic band.

Place an upturned saucer in the base of the AGA 3 litre Stainless Steel pan or the AGA Cast Aluminium Casserole and position the pudding basin on top. Carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the basin. Cover with the lid.

2, 3, 4 and 5 oven AGA:  Bring back to the boil and simmer on the Simmering Plate for 15 minutes then transfer the covered pan with its water and pudding contents onto the floor of the Simmering Oven for 1½-1¾ hours.

Serve with cream or custard.

Dawn Roads