Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
over 2 hours
Serves
Serves 4-6
For the Sussex pond pudding
- 125g/4½oz unsalted butter, plus extra for lining the bowl
- 200g/7oz self-raising flour, plus extra for lining the bowl
- 100g/3½oz suet
- 60g/2¼oz milk
- 125g/4½oz soft brown sugar
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 large blood orange, scrubbed and slashed
- 2 Braeburn apples, cored and quartered, skin on
- pinch salt
For the blood orange and mint salad
- 6 Medjool dates, stones removed, chopped
- 1 Braeburn apple, diced
- 1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
- 3 blood oranges, segmented and diced
- 2 lemons, segmented and diced
- 4 tbsp walnuts, toasted and chopped
To serve
- 400ml/14 fl oz double cream
- handful orange crisps (optional)
Method
-
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a 1.5 litre/2¾ pint pudding basin with butter, flour and a disc of baking paper at the bottom.
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Mix the flour, suet and a pinch of salt together in a bowl and stir in the milk to make a soft dough.
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Roll out the pastry to a 30x30cm/12x12in square and line the pudding basin, reserving the rest of the pastry. Add 50g/1¾ oz of the butter, 50g/1¾ oz of the sugar and the cinnamon stick, then add the slashed orange and apple pieces then top with the remaining butter and sugar.
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Roll out the rest of the pastry to form a lid, brush with water and press together to seal.
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Place a piece of foil over the basin, creating a pleat in the middle. Tie the foil in place with string and tie around carefully to create a string handle over the top, so the pudding can be easily moved when hot.
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Place an upturned dish into a large ovenproof pan and sit the pudding on top. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl, place in the oven and cover with foil or a lid. Bake for 4 hours.
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To make the salad, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
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Carefully remove the pudding and dress with the salad. Serve with the double cream and orange crisps, if using.