Slow Cooker Syrup Sponge Pudding Recipe

With the arrival of the new year and the cold weather, its always comforting to have a delicious warming dessert after dinner. As the costs of electricity have been a big issue of late here in the UK, my slow cooker has been my go to piece of equipment in the kitchen. Plus with the arrival of our twin boys very recently, it’s brilliant in allowing me to get dinner ready earlier in between feeding rather than trying to do everything all at once later in the day! I have made many casseroles, bolognaises and curries in the slow cooker, but never a dessert. I came across a brilliant page on Pinterest that gave a basic steamed sponge pudding recipe that could be varied to add chocolate, fruit or nuts (www.littleconkers.co.uk/steamed-pudding-recipes/ ). For my own version below, I chose to use golden syrup as I always have a tin handy.

Slow Cooker Syrup Sponge Pudding

Ingredients:

• 170g / 6oz Plain Flour
• 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
• 70g / 2.5oz Butter/Margarine (softened) plus extra for greasing
• 85g / 3oz Caster Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 140ml / 1/4 pint Milk
• 3 tablespoons Golden Syrup

Method:

• Add a small amount of kettle boiled water to the slow cooker and set on high to ‘preheat’.
• Grease a 2 pint pudding basin and lid.
• Sieve together the flour and baking powder (and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter).
• Rub in butter/margarine to the dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the sugar to the flour and butter mixture.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg and milk together before adding it to the dry ingredients and mix until it comes together.
• Add the golden syrup to the pudding basin before topping with the sponge mixture and place the lid on top.
• Place the basin in the slow cooker and add more water until it reaches halfway up the basin.
• Cover and steam for 2 hours.
• To turn out, remove the basin lid and run a knife around the outside of the pudding. Place a plate on top of the basin and turn upside down. The pudding should release and the syrup should cover the whole pudding.

Serve with plenty of custard or even cream or ice cream. Any leftovers can be reheated in the microwave for a few minutes to soften the sponge again. Enjoy!