You all know how much I love lemony sweets. Well, for Mother's Day, we had my mom over for high tea, and I'd planned on making a lemon poppy seed loaf for desert that I've made many times over the years and is a family favorite. It comes from the first cookbook I ever received (and has been replaced with updated additions over the years). I'd a;read greased a loaf pan and assembled the ingredients. But then I had an inspiration: What if I turned it into a steamed pudding? See how it turned out ...
Equipment: Electric mixer, 1.5 - 2 liter pudding basin
Sponge Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp poppy seeds
Lemon simple syrup ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Lemon Glaze ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
Grease pudding basin.
To make the sponge combine wet ingredients: egg, milk, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice.
Combine dry ingredients: Flour, sugar, baking powder.
Make a well in the bottom of the dry mix. Add wet mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened. Batter should still be lumpy.
Fold in poppy seeds and spooned batter into prepared pudding basin.
Cover the basin with lid or foil to stop steam escaping, secure with string around the top of the basin making a handle for lifting out of pan when cooked.
Set the filled pudding basin on a small plate in a large pot, pouring in enough water to come halfway up the basin. Steam for 1 hour 30 mins approximately.
Tips:
While steaming, make simple syrup by heating in a small pot on medium until sugar is melted. Set aside. Make glaze by mixing sugar and lemon by hand or with a hand mixer.
Turn steamed pudding onto a plate. Make shallow cuts around the top of the pudding and pour simple syrup over pudding. Cover and let sit until completely cool. Spoon glaze over top and down the sides of the sponge.
I served this pudding with fruit and whipped cream. It was as moist as the lemon bread always is, but makes for a nicer presentation both before and after slicing. Also, this pudding freezes well. Slice into serving size pieces and freeze individually in ziplock bags. When you're ready to eat it, wrap a frozen pudding slice in a paper towel and warm in a microwave for 30-40 seconds. It will be very moist! Enjoy!
Sponge Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp poppy seeds
Lemon simple syrup ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Lemon Glaze ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
Grease pudding basin.
To make the sponge combine wet ingredients: egg, milk, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice.
Combine dry ingredients: Flour, sugar, baking powder.
Make a well in the bottom of the dry mix. Add wet mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened. Batter should still be lumpy.
Fold in poppy seeds and spooned batter into prepared pudding basin.
Cover the basin with lid or foil to stop steam escaping, secure with string around the top of the basin making a handle for lifting out of pan when cooked.
Set the filled pudding basin on a small plate in a large pot, pouring in enough water to come halfway up the basin. Steam for 1 hour 30 mins approximately.
Tips:
- Keep water gently simmering, not boiling hard
- Check water level every 20–30 minutes
- Add hot water only (not cold)
- Keep lid tightly covered (this matters a lot for steaming)
While steaming, make simple syrup by heating in a small pot on medium until sugar is melted. Set aside. Make glaze by mixing sugar and lemon by hand or with a hand mixer.
Turn steamed pudding onto a plate. Make shallow cuts around the top of the pudding and pour simple syrup over pudding. Cover and let sit until completely cool. Spoon glaze over top and down the sides of the sponge.
I served this pudding with fruit and whipped cream. It was as moist as the lemon bread always is, but makes for a nicer presentation both before and after slicing. Also, this pudding freezes well. Slice into serving size pieces and freeze individually in ziplock bags. When you're ready to eat it, wrap a frozen pudding slice in a paper towel and warm in a microwave for 30-40 seconds. It will be very moist! Enjoy!