Prunes & Date Pudding

 

Ingredients: Pre-soaked fruit mixture 2 nos. Star Anise 1 inch stick Cinnamon 1 cup Prunes (finely chopped) 100 gm Dates 1 tsp Vanilla essence 1 cup Orange Juice 1 cup Apple Juice For the Dry ingredients 1/2 cups Flour 1 tsp Baking powder ½ tsp Nutmeg powder ¼ tsp Allspice powder ½ tsp Cinnamon powder For the Pudding base 1/4 cup Butter 1/4 cup Brown sugar or normal sugar will do 1 tsp Vanilla essence 2 nos. Eggs Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for pre-soaked fruit mixture, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 3 days. 2. Preheat oven to 150ºC. In a mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg powder, allspice powder and cinnamon powder. 3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter with brown sugar and vanilla essence till mixture is light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one by one. 4. When eggs are properly combined, fold in the flour mixture, then fold in the fruit mixture. 5. Grease a large mould or 6 to 8 individual moulds and fill each ¾ with batter. Cover the mould(s) with foil. Fill half a baking tray with water and place the mould(s) in it. Place the tray in the preheated oven and steam bake for 1 hour. 6. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat the cream with sugar, saffron till it simmers. Remove from flame. 7. To serve, unmould the pudding(s) on a serving plate, pour the sauce over it and sprinkle over with candied peel. Serve warm.