These cute oven-steamed puds with nutmeg custard are almost like blonde Christmas puddings

Serves 6
Preparation and cooking times
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients
• 175g unsalted butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
• 175g self-raising flour
• 140g soft light brown sugar
• zest 1 lemon
• zest 1 orange
• 2 eggs , beaten
• 25g natural glacé cherries , quartered
• 25g sultanas
• 25g currants
• 25g mixed peel
• grating of nutmeg (optional)

Method
1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter 6 individual puddings basins or dariole moulds and line the bottom of each with a small circle of baking parchment. Sit them in a deep roasting tin and boil the kettle.
 
2. Place the butter, flour, sugar and zests and eggs into a bowl with a pinch of salt. Whisk with an electric hand whisk until just combined.

Stir in the dried fruit, and then divide between the moulds. Carefully pour hot water from the kettle into the tin until it comes about one-third to halfway up the sides of the moulds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer pushed in comes out clean. Serve straight away. If making ahead, leave the puds to cool, cover for up to a day, then turn out of the moulds into a microwave-proof dish and microwave, three at a time, for 1-2 minutes on High until hot.

Turn out the puddings, pour over some of the Nutmeg custard (see recipe, below) and add a grating of nutmeg, if you like.

Try
Nutmeg custard
Heat 700ml/1.25 pints full-fat milk. Mix it with a good grating of nutmeg and 50g/2oz caster sugar. When just beginning to boil, remove from heat.

Put 4 egg yolks into a large bowl, stir in 2 tbsp corn flour until smooth, and then gradually stir in hot milk. Clean out the milk pan, and then return the custard mixture into it.

Cook over gentle heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until thickened. If not serving immediately, cover with cling film on the surface of the custard, and then gently reheat.

PER SERVING
474 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 57g, fat 27 g, saturated fat 16g, fibre 1g, sugar 35g, salt 0.4 g

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