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Sloe gin & fruit sponge puddings


Sloe Gin Fruit Sponge Pudding

Sloe gin & fruit sponge puddings
13th December, 2016

Ah, cooking with gin. These little beauties are perfect for a chilly evening to warm you up

Just remeber to save yourself a glass or two of gin for later

Ingredients

  • 100g mixed dried fruit, such as raisins, currants and sultanas
  • 4 tbsp sherry
  • 200g butter
  • Butter at room temperature, plus extra for the moulds
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • zest ½ orange or 1 clementine
  • 150ml sloe gin
  • 6 tbsp apricot jam
  • Vanilla custard, to serve

    Method

    Heat oven to 180 degrees

    Soak the dried fruit in the Sherry overnight

    Butter 6 x 200ml pudding or dariole moulds.

    Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs, then slowly add them to the butter and sugar using an electric whisk or mixer.

    Sift the flour and baking powder together, then carefully fold into the egg, butter and sugar mix using a large metal spoon.

    Drain the fruit and fold into the mix with the mixed spice, orange or clementine zest and 4 tbsp of the sloe gin.

    Mix the jam and the remaining sloe gin, then divide between the moulds.

    Spoon in the batter, filling the moulds two-thirds full.

    Cover each mould with a large square of foil with a pleat in the centre to allow room, as the sponges will rise a lot. Secure with string.

    Place the moulds in a baking or roasting dish, then fill the dish with water to come one-third up the side of the moulds.

    Bake for about 1 hr or until the sponges have risen and are cooked

    .

    The puds can now be cooled, then chilled. Reheat the same way they were cooked for 20 mins or until hot.

    To serve, remove the foil. Gently loosen the puddings with a knife and upturn them onto plates.

    Serve with homemade or bought custard