Chocolate, Orange and Dates pudding for Daring Baker's challenge-April 2010

Hi friends, I know I am a few minutes late for my Daring Baker's challenge posting !! :), that's me always late for everything, But, But, just a second I posted in the forum right on time!! exactly 2 minutes before midnight!!.
This month April 2010 Daring Baker's Challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen, she challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using if possible a very British ingredients Suet!!!.

Well, well, well this was a difficult situation I was in and few more like me who are vegetarians and vegans, as Suet is made from meat!!, Even though here they sell a vegetable suet by Atora, I had never tried it and really did not know how it works, May be someday I might give it a try!!, But then Esther, was a wonderful host who wanted all of us to participate and was she flexible, yes!!, she was very !!!, she wrote that she wanted all of us to bake I mean Steam away or Bake or however you know how to make a pudding!!, and yes here we go we all had free reins so we could just make whatever we wanted!!
If you are interested on how the suet is made check out in Esther's blog or visit the main Kitchen where loads of our Daring bakers have contributed to stuning puddings to feast your eyes!!
I just wanted it to be atleast in something realtively near so I really wanted to Steam and see how the pudding tastes and looks!!, I was so surprised that it turned out very well..., Here is my pudding recipe...
This recipe after searching so many books I found this one, which attracted me for two reasons one by the look of it and the other was it had dates in it!! The most loved dry fruit by me....!!!,This book is a collection of Desserts and doesn't have an author.., whoever found this one won my heart and of course my family and friends who enjoyed it, especially my H who said, it was simply Gorgeous and had a generous second helping !!! as it was quite sweet...
Sorry once again I have to apologise the not-too-tempting-clicks!!, But they were really too yummy!!, you all must give it a try.

CHOCOLATE, ORANGE AND DATES PUDDING

INGREDIENTS:
100 gms Golden Caster Sugar
2-3 Seedless Oranges
200gms Unsalted butter, softened
200 gms Dark Muscovado sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed Oranges ( I used 2 tbsp)
3 tbsp of fine-cut Orange Marmalade ( I used home-made Marmalade from my previous recipe)
3 Eggs beaten
1 tbsp Orange-Flower water (Optional)
150 gms Plain Flour (I used 100 gms Plain flour + 50 gms Quinoa Flour)
50 gms Unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 tsp of Baking Powder
150 gms ready-to-eat dates, chopped

Served 7 !!

METHOD:

First make a sugar syrup, pour 150 ml water into a small sauce pan and add the caster sugar. Cook over gentle heat until dissolved.

Slice each Orange thinly into about 6 neat slices. Submerge them in the sugar syrup. set a disc of non-stick grease proof paper on top and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes. Lift the Oranges out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Boil the syrup until reduced by half.

Line the base of the pudding basin with a disc of non-stick greaseproof paper. Place the best Orange slice on top of the disc, and use the rest of the slices to line the sides of the basin.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, muscovado sugar and orange zest using an elctric whisk, until light and fluffy.

Beat in the marmalade, then gradually beat in the eggs and orange-flower water, if using, mixing well between each addition. Sift the floour, cocoa and baking powder into the egg mixture and fold in. Finally fold in the dates.

Spoon the mixture into the basin, It should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides. Smoot the surface and cover with a disc of non-stick greaseproof paper. Take a large sheet of aluminium foil and fold it in half. Make a pleat in the centre. Press the foil over the side of the basin with the pleat in the centre. Press the foil over the side of the basin, tie around the top with string and trim away any excess foil.

The pleat will open out and allow the pudding to expand during cooking.

Stand the basin on a trivet in a large, deep pan and add enoough water to come at least 5 cm up the sides. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 2 hours, topping up the water level from time to time.

Remove the foil and disc and insert a skewer into the centre of the pudding. If it doesn't come out clean, re-cover and steam for a little longer. Run a knife around the sides, turn out onto a dish and brush with syrup. Serve with what ever you enjoy!!!!.

VERDICT: I just loved Steaming this pudding as I had never done this before, Every one loved it!!, I used my pressure cooker to steam this pudding, I did not have a pudding bowl, so I steamed it in a pyrex bowl!!

I served with my Home made Mascarpone cheese, which I had learnt it in previous Tiramisu (which I did not make !!, just made the cheese) Daring Baker's challenge.

Home Made Mascarpone cheese cre'me:

50 gms Mascarpone cheese

150 ml Double cream

50 gms Icing sugar

I softened the cheese, mixed it with Icing sugar and added the creame and thoroughly beat into a soft sweet cream.

Here are some more clicks of my lovely chocolatey, orangy dates pudding....

Digging into my lovely pudding and served with the cre'me, rather poured it on it!!, which was just out of the steamer and was quite warm... Mmm.....

This was one nice click ( :)))) so I say!!, this was really how it looked like... Absolutely Gorgeous and yummy....

My kids were saying it just tasted like the Orange chocolates sold exclusive only in UK, which is just like the orange segments, as if you are peeling an Orange, So if you ever come to UK, do not forget to buy these Orangy chocolates.., as I heard from lot of people that you can get it nowhere!!
Enjoy!!!

Comments

Setty

January 19, 2011 at 9:30 pm

This is one of the best pudding that I have had so far. The one you made at our place looked really nice and it tasted even better. I can still remember the taste. When are you cooking it again? let me know 🙂

Meena

May 02, 2010 at 8:45 am

beautiful pudding, looks yumm...

bed frames

April 30, 2010 at 8:35 am

I am so amazed with the presentation! So creative and so nice!

Smita Srivastava

April 29, 2010 at 3:06 pm

Hi . First time here , u hav a lovely collection of recipes
The pudding truly looks out of the world !!!

Smita
@ Little Food Junction

Apu

April 29, 2010 at 2:27 pm

Beautiful pudding Jayashri!!

தக்குடுபாண்டி

April 29, 2010 at 10:43 am

nice post!!..:)

Aparna

April 29, 2010 at 8:36 am

Your pudding looks lovely, Jayasri. Great flavour combination too.
You are a Daring Baker. 🙂

Audax

April 29, 2010 at 7:24 am

Hi you wanted the focaccia recipe it is at the Daring Kitchen forum in the The Kitchen under focaccia recipe below is the link you will have to log in if you cannot get in I can send you the recipe. Just leave a note on my blog.

http://thedaringkitchen.com/forums/kitchen/focaccia

jayasri

April 28, 2010 at 11:11 pm

Hi katie, thanks for the lovely comments, not to beat yours!!
Thanks raji!!, don't make me feel embrassed!!, I did not have a pud bowl so used my pyrex bowl, that is why it looks so large not like the one in the photo..
Thanks priti.., don't say like that you can definitely do it, better than me!!
you made my day!! Audax, getting those lovely comments from you means a lot to me and my blog!!, Hey, friends you should definitely check Audax blog for a recipe series of great puds, you could never even think of!!, Thanks Audax for visiting me...
Thanks hari chandana, it was too good!!
pud was perfect but not picture perfect, my pud was chota aur mota tha!! :))
Thanks Mary.., yes you are right,Those chocolates are Terry's orange!! :)), I buy them always to take it to India, but the name couldn't come to mind at 12 O' clock in the night, was it because it was late or I getting old!!
Thanks very much for visiting me pavithra srihari, it's lovely to me new friends..
Hi crumbsoflove, thanks for your appreciation..., I just copied what the recipe indicated, nothing innovative in that!!

jayasri

April 28, 2010 at 10:47 pm

Hi parni thanks, yup the pudding was really delicious, you must be joking!!, how could you say that it is lovely picture....
pavithra, you really have done a good job for your first challenge, I loved it I am going to try it out soon!!, very chirstmassy...
Thanks simran
Thanks Rachel, It was really good looking on the pud, but not on my clicks 🙁
Thanks priya, I was happy my family ate oranges like that!!

crumbsoflove

April 28, 2010 at 10:37 pm

you have managed to make pudding look very elegant. Well Done

Pavithra Srihari

April 28, 2010 at 6:04 pm

looks delicious ... first time here and u have got a lovely space

Mary

April 28, 2010 at 4:47 pm

This looks wonderful, and I bet it was delicious with the mascarpone cream! I love dates too, and must make a pudding with them sometime. The orange flavoured chocolate in the shape of an orange is available in Canada too and it's called Terry's Chocolate Orange. They are very popular at Christmastime.

Usha

April 28, 2010 at 2:37 pm

Pudding looks fabulous! So picture perfect....

Hari Chandana

April 28, 2010 at 12:58 pm

Wowwwwwwwwwwww... amazing dear.. looks soo beautiful and perfect...

Audax

April 28, 2010 at 10:28 am

What a lovely looking pudding well done on this challenge and so great to hear you and your family liked it so much wonderful effort, in Australia orange and chocolate is called jaffa and I have had those orange/chocolate sweets you talked about from the UK they are delightful. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.

Priti

April 28, 2010 at 10:28 am

Oh my look at this....so perfect ...u got it just like in the book..wow..I guess I can never do that....pudding looks mouth watery

RAKS KITCHEN

April 28, 2010 at 10:04 am

That has come out so perfect! Just like the one in the cover of the cook book 🙂

Katie

April 28, 2010 at 9:16 am

Your pud looks wonderful. Love how you have real orange slices around the outside.

Priya

April 28, 2010 at 8:30 am

Woww wat a excellent and elegant pudding, love those orange slices over the pudding, looks prefect..

Rachel

April 28, 2010 at 5:19 am

love hoe the orange slices give it a beautiful effect. Great job.

Simran

April 28, 2010 at 4:03 am

Wow! It looks lovely.

Pavithra

April 28, 2010 at 2:56 am

Wow wonderful pudding dear. This is my first challenge and I was really excited and had fun doing this..

PranisKitchen

April 28, 2010 at 12:32 am

what a delicious pudding..
nice presentation..lovely picture.
Perfect one..good work yarr..

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