It may seem strange to put whole lemons in a steamed pudding but fear not. The long, gentle cooking melts the sugar to create a rich, lemony caramel and infuses the dough with citrus aromas.
Ingredients
- 335g/11oz
self-raising flour - 130g/5oz shredded
suet - 100ml/3½fl oz
milk - 200g/7oz slightly salted
butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing - 200g/7oz soft light
brown sugar - 3 large unwaxed
lemons - 200ml/7fl oz
double cream, to serve ice cream, to serve
Preparation method
For the Sussex pond pudding, grease a 1.5 litre/2¾ pint heatproof basin or bowl.
Mix the flour and suet together in a bowl. In a jug combine the milk with 100ml/3½fl oz water. Mix in enough of the milk and water to the flour and suet mixture to make a dough that is soft, but firm enough to roll.
On a lightly floured work surface roll the dough into a large circle. Cut out a quarter of the circle and set aside (this will be used later to form the lid of the pudding).
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and lower the pudding into it. The water should come halfway up the sides of the bowl.
Cover the pan with a lid and leave to simmer for 3-4 hours. Top up the pan with more water if it starts to dry out.
To serve, carefully remove the pudding from the pan and remove the foil lid. Put a deep dish over the basin and turn the pudding out onto the dish. Serve immediately with the cream and ice cream.