“I have always called the desert course in a restaurant’pudding’ although I think this is due to an early exposure to the U and Non-U rules of the epic snob, Nancy Mitford. I have always felt ‘dessert’ was a bit prissy, and belonged to the world of doilies. Don’t even mention the term ‘sweet’: I reflexively cringe at its use. Pudding sounds more down to earth – liable to fill you up in a nurturing way.”

^{-Stephen Harris in The Daily Telegraph}

It’s the season for blood oranges at the moment, and we’re also midwinter… needing some warmth and comfort for which, look no further than steamed puddings.

They turn out of the ramekins relatively easily, and then they collapse a little – that’s fine, they’re supposed to do that. They look amazing with the jewel-coloured blood oranges glinting from under the marmalade glaze.

They are also simple to make, and ENORMOUSLY popular.

If you are making these for a party of ten, get a friend to help you turn them out, and more friends to get the puddings quickly to the table.

Recipe for bright blood oranges winking through a marmalade glaze over wintry warm steamed puddings

Serves 10

Ingredients

• 2 small blood oranges
• 10 tbsps golden syrup
• 12 tbsps rough cut marmalade
• 75g/¾ cup ground almonds
• 160g/⅔ cup plain flour
• 1½ tsps. baking powder
• 150g/ ⅔ cup golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 eggs
• 150g/5 oz butter
• 200ml/generous ¾ cup Greek yoghurt (full fat)
• Crème fraîche, or vanilla ice cream, or double cream to serve with it

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Zest the blood oranges into a medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Peel (you can do this by cutting the peel off with a sharp knife as you need to get rid of the bitter white pith) and slice the blood oranges into rounds.
4. Put a tbsp of marmalade in each of ten ramekins. Then add a tbsp of golden syrup to each.
5. Push down a round slice of blood orange onto the bed of marmalade-syrup, in each ramekin. You’ll have some slices left over.
6. Put the plain flour, golden caster sugar, ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder into the mixing bowl with the orange zest.
7. Then add the eggs, butter, yoghurt and two tablespoons of marmalade.
8. Fill the ramekins about three-quarters full.
9. Put them onto a roasting tin, and fill the tin with an inch (5 cms) or so of water.
10. Bake for about 20 minutes – a skewer or knife pushed into one of them should come out clean.
11. When cool enough to handle, loosen the puddings by running a palette knife around the inside edge of the ramekin. Put a small plate on top, then, holding firm (maybe using a tea towel) turn upside down, and give a firm shake. The pudding should come out cleanly onto the plate.  
12. Serve, garnished with the remaining orange slices, and with crème fraîche, or vanilla ice cream, or double cream.