Riverford's Sticky Toffee Pudding

I've made several different steamed puddings over the last few months to sell at Alresford's Country Market, but this recipe from Riverford was by far the most successful.  Using only one egg to the other recipes' three, this recipe made a larger pudding that rose and held it's shape far better.  The only tweak I did was to use dates instead of apricots as I am selling to ageing traditionalists!

I made mine in four 300ml plastic pudding basins with lids, covering the pots with old butter wrappers.  From cold, these small puddings take 2 minutes on full power in a microwave to reheat to piping hot.

Riverford's Sticky Toffee Pudding

Serves 6-8

For the pudding:
175g dried apricots, very finely chopped
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300ml boiling water
50g butter
100g caster sugar
50g vanilla sugar
1 egg, beaten
225g flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the topping:
215g dark muscovado sugar
115g butter
6 tbsp double cream

Place the topping ingredients in a small pan and stir over a gentle heat until the butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 mins. Pour into two buttered 900ml pudding basins. Place the apricots in a bowl with the bicarb of soda and pour boiling water over them. Leave to cool thoroughly.

Cream the butter in a bowl with the caster and vanilla sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour with the baking powder and fold in. Stir the apricot mix into the batter and divide between two pudding basins.

Cover each basin with foil and secure tightly with string, leaving long ends. Knot these to make a handle across the basin so that it can easily be lifted out of the steamer. Place the bowls on trivets in a large pan and surround with enough hot water to come halfway up.

Cover and steam for 11⁄2 hours. Check every 20 mins or so that the pan has not boiled dry and keep topping up with boiling water. Lift out of the water and turn the puddings out onto a warmed serving dish.