Mary Berrys Treacle Pudding Recipes

EASY TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the syrup, lemon zest, juice and breadcrumbs and spread over the base of a 1.5 litre baking dish.
• Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one by one. Stir in the flour and milk and dollop over the syrup. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden and risen, and a skewer poked into the sponge comes out clean-ish. Eat with lots of custard, cream or ice cream and extra dribbles of syrup.

STEAMED TREACLE SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• First of all butter the basin, then measure 3 tablespoons of golden syrup into it. Then take a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and baking powder into it, add the softened butter, eggs, sugar and black treacle. Next, using an electric hand whisk (or a large fork and lots of elbow grease), beat the mixture for about 2 minutes until it's thoroughly blended. Now spoon the mixture into the basin and level the top using the back of the tablespoon. Place the sheet of foil over the greaseproof paper, make a pleat in the centre, and place this, foil-side uppermost, on top of the pudding. Pull it down the sides and tie the string, taking the string over the top and tying it on the other side to make yourself a handle for lifting. Trim off the excess paper all the way round. Now steam the pudding for 2 hours, checking the water level halfway through. To serve, loosen the pudding all round using a palette knife, invert it on to a warmed plate, and pour an extra 3 tablespoons of syrup (warmed if you like) over the top before taking it to the table. Serve with Proper Custard (see our Cookery School Video), or some well chilled crème fraîche.

MARY BERRY'S TREACLE PUDDING RECIPE

Steps:

• Measure the golden syrup into the bottom of a greased 1.1 litre pudding basin.
• Mix the flour, sugar and suet together in a mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and enough milk to bind to a soft dough. Pour into the basin on top of the syrup. Cover with greaseproof paper and seal the top with a foil lid.
• Put the basin in a stainless steel saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Fill with enough water to come halfway up the basin and cook on the hob for about 3½ hours, occasionally checking on the level of the water in the pan, topping up when needed with more boiling water.
• OR to cook with an Aga, bring to the boil on the boiling plate for about 8 minutes. Transfer the pan, water and basin to the floor of the simmering oven and cook for about 3½ hours until the pudding is nicely risen and firm to the touch.
• Turn the pudding upside down on to a plate so that all the syrup runs down the sides. Serve warm with custard and more warm golden syrup, if liked.

MARY BERRY'S TREACLE TART

Steps:

• First make the shortcrust pastry: measure the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (alternatively, this can be done in a food processor). Add about three tablespoons of cold water and mix to a firm dough, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a heavy baking tray in the oven to heat up. Grease a deep 18cm/7in loose-bottomed fluted flan tin with butter.
• Remove about 150g/5½oz of pastry from the main ball and set aside for the lattice top.
• Roll the rest of the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured work surface and line the prepared flan tin with the pastry.
• Prick the base with a fork, to stop the base rising up during baking.
• Place the reserved pastry for the lattice top on cling film and roll out thinly. Egg wash the pastry and set aside to chill in the fridge (the cling film makes it easier to move about). Do not cut into strips at this stage. Do not egg wash the strips once they are on the tart as it will drip into the treacle mixture.
• To make the filling, heat the syrup gently in a large pan but do not boil.
• Once melted, add the breadcrumbs, lemon juice and zest to the syrup. (You can add less lemon if you would prefer less citrus taste.) If the mixture looks runny, add a few more breadcrumbs. Pour the syrup mixture into the lined tin and level the surface.
• Remove the reserved pastry from the fridge and cut into long strips, 1cm/½in wide. Make sure they are all longer than the edges of the tart tin.
• Egg wash the edge of the pastry in the tin, and start to make the woven laying lattice pattern over the mixture, leave the strips hanging over the edge of the tin.
• Once the lattice is in place, use the tin edge to cut off the strips by pressing down with your hands, creating a neat finish.
• Bake on the pre-heated baking tray in the hot oven for about 10 minutes until the pastry has started to colour, and then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4. If at this stage the lattice seems to be getting too dark brown, cover the tart with tin foil.
• Bake for a further 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling set. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to firm up in the tin. Serve warm or cold.

MARY BERRY'S TOFFEE PEAR PUDDING

Steps:

• 1. You will need a shallow 2 litre (3½ pint) ovenproof dish, measuring about 30 x 20 x 6cm (12 x 8 x 2½in). Preheat the oven to 180°/160° fan/Gas 4 and lightly grease the dish with butter. 2. Slice one pear half into thin horseshoe shapes and set these aside for decoration. Cut the remaining pears into 1cm (½ in) pieces. 3. To make the pudding, measure the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand whisk, beat until light and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk again to make a smooth, thick batter. Stir in the chopped pears. 4. Pour into the prepared dish. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the pudding is well risen, coming away from the sides of the dish and springy to the touch. 5. To make the sauce, measure all the ingredients into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Increase the heat and boil for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time until the sauce has thickened slightly. 6. Arrange the reserved pear slices along the centre of the dish. Pour half the sauce over the pudding, then pour the rest into a warm jug. Serve the pudding warm with the sauce and some ice cream, custard or cream. Prepare ahead: Can be made and cooked, without the sauce, up to 6 hours ahead. Sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead. Get your copy of Mary Berry's essential new guide to comfort cooking, with over 120 delicious, foolproof recipes:

MARY BERRY'S STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• 1. You will need a 1.75-litre (3-pint) wide-based, shallow ovenproof dish. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 and grease the dish with butter. 2. Measure the butter and sugar into a large bowl with the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and treacle (see tip), and add the eggs. Whisk using an electric hand whisk for about 30 seconds or until combined. Gradually pour in the milk and whisk until smooth. Expect it to have a slightly curdled look. 3. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until well risen and springing up in the centre. 4. Meanwhile make the sauce. Measure all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until thickened. 5. To serve, pour half the sauce over the pudding when it comes out of the oven and serve the rest in a jug on the side. Serve with cream or ice cream. PREPARE AHEAD: Can be cooked up to a day ahead and reheated. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. MARY'S EVERYDAY TIP: Muscovado sugar is unrefined sugar made from sugar cane and, with its fudgy, lightly caramel flavour, it is perfect for this recipe. For a stronger toffee taste, closer to the liquorice flavour of black treacle, you could use dark muscovado sugar instead.