Friday, 7 December 2018

Syrup Sponge - in a microwave

Bit lax on posting here.... :-) But at least one entry per year.... Syrup Sponge (aka Steamed Pudding) Two options for cooking, 4 hours steaming in a water bath or 5 minutes in the Microwave (seriously!!) Original from here https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/syrupspongewithprope_4983 Ingredients 125g butter melted 100g sugar 2 eggs 150g plain flour 1 tea spoon baking powder (leivinjauhe) 1-2 tablespoons of milk NB: you need syrup too, but DON'T add it to the mix yet (see later) Optional Ingredients #1 Lemon :Squeeze half a lemon + grated peel of 1 lemin #2 Vanilla :A few drops of vanilla essence #3 Do #1 and #2 #4 Add whatever you like - Lemon and Vanilla are good - experiment with how much #5 Use lime as well as/instead of lemon - this might work - orange too probably #6 Rum ... instead of the milk .... hell, why not?! Let me know.... rum essence will work too. Method Mix all of the above (not the syrup) together - should be "gloopy" not stiff or too liquid Now take a microwave safe bowl big enough for all of the above to fit into to. Coat it with butter and drizzle syrup down the slides - try to get everything covered. Tip the sponge mixture into the bowl. Syrup: Dark syrup is good - very thick and doesn't collect in the bottom of the bowl when you add the sponge mixture. Maple syrup is also good but a bit too runny. Cover with cling film - not too tightly Microwave full power for 5 minutes, maybe 6 Take out - WARNING IT WILL BE FREAKING HOT - and place a large plate over the top of the bowl (take the cling film off first!). Tip everything upside down. If you're lucky the sponge will drop out and if not use a knife. The top of the sponge (and sides too hopefully) will be saturated in syrup. Serve Best eaten hot, server with custard (vanilija kastike), cream, icecream. When cold the pudding becomes firmer and soaks up the sauce like a sponge :-) Vegans Replace the eggs and milk and butter with suitable vegan alternatives, such as hemp oil, avocado, aqua faba, lettuce - oh I have no idea...all you need to ensure is that the proteins fold trapping the CO2 generated by the leivinjauhe during the cooking process. Microwave Yes, seriously, this is one thing that does work well in the microwave. During steaming the pudding is cooked slowly, in a microwave all of the water molecules are excited by the microwaves (yay physics!) simultaneously so you get the same effect and maybe better. That's the idea anyway. Safety THE BOWL AND CONTENTS WILL BE HOT WHEN YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE MICROWAVE. USE OVEN GLOVES ON BOTH HANDS. THIS STUFF IS LIKE BOILING NAPALM - I HAVE THE SCARS. Take all necessary safety precautions: aprons, rubber gloves, goggles, gasmask, helmet, safety harness, clogs, attack dog, gun, VPN connection and have the hospital on speed dial... no wait ... that's the chilli I ate last week.....