Whiskey Marmalade Pudding. So good, I cooked it twice!

Marmalade puddingI believe it’s important to face up to one’s shortcomings. If you can get into the way of doing this, it is very good for the soul. It also allows you negate the scornful snickering and finger-pointing of those with less emotional intelligence than you. I am lucky enough to live in a bliss-filled house where the Wife never alludes to my failings and daughters have only praise for my efforts in the kitchen. My beloved mother does as she has done for over 50 years. She doles out gentle encouragement for my culinary adventures. That’s all true up to a point. We passed that particular marker when I tried to cook Whiskey Marmalade Steamed Pudding

Mind you, when you have a complete failure caused by your own stupidity, it’s kind of hard to avoid the scorn of those around you. The ingredients for this are all common and the method is pretty straightforward. Any fool could cook it….

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 150 grammes of butter
  • 150 grammes of light brown sugar
  • 175 grammes of self-raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  • 3 tablespoons of marmalade
  • 1 tablespoon of whiskey

Soften the butter. Beat the butter and the sugar together until they lighten and are well combined.

Nicely blended. This is soooo easy.

Nicely blended. This is soooo easy.

Add the eggs. Beat. Add the flour. Beat. Add the milk to get a smooth consistency.

Spoon a big dollop of whisky marmalade into a 1.2 litre bowl.

That's a lot of marmalade. Picture it dribbling down the pudding and add another spoon.

That’s a lot of marmalade. Picture it dribbling down the pudding and add another spoon.

Add the pudding mixture and make a lid out of greaseproof paper and tinfoil. Tie with string. Place the pudding in a water bath. Place the water bath in a 200ºC oven for 50 minutes. Take the pudding out and let it cool a little. Turn the pudding out onto a serving plate…..

Marmalade pudding

A small problem. It won’t turn out. No matter what I do. Time to start again.

At this stage, I realised that the bowl needed to be greased. The pudding steadfastly refused to come out of he bowl. I ran a spatula around the edge. I stuck a knife in. I cut a chunk out. The result was a mess. My audience enjoyed my discomfort, if not my dessert.

So the lesson to be learned: Follow the steps above but grease the bowl with butter before adding the marmalade mixture. Just like in the next picture.

That's more like it. It doesn't look too pretty bit it is the way to go.

That’s more like it. It doesn’t look too pretty bit it is the way to go.

Add the pudding mixture.

Pudding mixture in the greased bowl. Technically right if unattractive.

Pudding mixture in the greased bowl. Technically right if unattractive.

Make another lid out of foil and greaseproof paper, tying with string.

Only 50 minutes to wait now. Will it turn out?

Only 50 minutes to wait now. Will it turn out?

After steaming the pudding, turn it out with confidence.

Marmalade pudding

This marmalade pudding just slurped once and eased its way out of the bowl. Mmmmm….

It was well worth waiting for the pudding. The whiskey marmalade had a lovely bite and was delicious with the surprisingly light sponge.

Marmalade pudding

Slurp……. Plop…… That’s what you want to hear.

I served it with cream and a glass of a sweet Monbazillac, picked up from the Chateau during a trip to the region some time ago. My diners enjoyed the pudding this time and not my embarrassment. That was a good thing.

I have two pieces of advice for this dessert. Firstly, do give it a go. It really is very simple and delicious. Secondly, do remember to grease that bowl. Life will be a lot simpler if you do…

Marmalade pudding with cream

That’s how you do it! What a delicious dessert!

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Latest comments
  • I feel your pain Conor. Try washing ramekins that you haven’t greased after baking eggs….

    • Indeed. I tried to poach some eggs in cling film the other day. The dog enjoyed them!

  • That looks so good I’m actually reconsidering my antipathy to steamed puddings. Lovely pictures too.

    • Thanks Linda. The second attempt worked really well. The first was a lesson, for sure.

  • You say any fool can do this. You, my friend, never saw my attempt at a steamed pudding. Ugh. Or maybe I’m not a fool. Just an American 😉

    • No fool you! If you were, I would have bought your excellent recipe card collection from you for a few dollars. The key is butter the bowl.

  • Fantastic and so simple. Thank for the inspiration. Off to the kitchen. 🙂

  • ahh… the cream pouring shot is luscious.

    • Thanks, I was happy with that. There really is no shooting it twice.

  • I know exactly the noise that pudding made exiting the bowl. It’s the noise a gumboot makes exiting a particularly succulent mud puddle. Only tastier. Alas, I’m not a fan of marmalade. I might try it with sour cherry jam. Or guava jelly. Or rhubarb compote. Or crystallised ginger in syrup. You get the idea. I want to give it a go.

    • If you can get that sound Kate, you have a perfect pudding – no matter what you put on top of it. Get cooking!

      • Have just copied down your second sentence, Kate! Only you could have written it: perfectissimo!! [Conor: no third course – no right to comment!]

      • I loved the upside down pudding. And its me Susan.

        • Thanks Susan. I am delighted that you liked it. You will have to cook it for your family now.

  • You had me at whiskey.

    • I enjoyed a glass with some Kung Pao Chicken the other night. I love a glass of it.

  • You are undoubtedly prescient. Since my schooldays I have never retried eating a steamed pudding, let alone tried making one. However, just a couple of days ago, I had a stern word with myself about prejudices and made up my mind to make one….which I still haven’t done. So, no hiding place. Wonderful pictures and words…thanks:)

    • Happy to have helped in some small way. It really is old fashioned stuff. Delicious none the less. That is, if you can get it out of the bowl.

  • I definitely need to try this, looks delicious and I’m not even a dessert person. YUM!

    • It would make a nice breakfast too, perhaps?

  • Ahhh, but everyone got to eat your delicious dessert, twice!

    • Believe me, the first attempt was not edible by the time I had extracted it.

  • I love those recipes.

  • Wonderful pud & pictures!

    • Thanks Karinna. An, thanks for visiting.
      Best,
      Conor

  • That looks and sounds amazing, am a recent convert to a steamed pud and happen to have whiskey and marmalade in the cupboard….

  • Why do you measure the butter, sugar and flour in grams instead of teaspons/tablespoons? It is much harder to translate across the pond.

    • Sincere apologies. I struggle myself with cups, tablespoons and sticks coming the other way. I will get my hands on a converter for future baking related stuff where the measurements are pretty important. In most things I do, exact measurements tend to not be critical. Will try harder!

    • I am from the States, living here in Ireland and feel your pain. But, as the saying goes, when in ________, so I adapted and have never looked back, even converted the recipes I have written in US measurements. I find it is soooo much easier to measure by just plunking ingredients onto a weighing scale, especially butter which is a bit messy when putting into cups and spoons. Never had I dreamed of owning a weighing scale, my mum and grandma never had one either. Now I have two, digital and dial. I highly recommend, no looking back for me.
      Now, that’s not to say that Conor couldn’t use the extra maths homework on his future recipes of course 😉 .

  • Looks great, Conor. Even if it doesn’t come out in one piece, it should still taste the same. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a ‘sponge’ type cake baked/cooked au bain marie before and had no idea it is then called “steamed”. Lining the bowl with heat-resistant cling film may be even more fool-proof, provided that it comes off and doesn’t make it wrinkly.

    • The first one was a real mess. There is great satisfaction when the pudding glops and slides out of the bowl. It works fine if one butters the bowl. Not so otherwise. The heat resistant cling film would probably stick to the pudding too.

      • It comes out best when you can somehow release the vacuum. Unfortunately, bowls don’t tend to have a valve or something.

  • So refreshing to see the warts’n’all version Conor – a victim of physics and ‘gloopiness’ I fear…I must say though that turned out a proper pud and with dessert wine to match too….heaven.

    • Thanks Phil,
      The first go was a real learning curve. Who would have thought that pudding could stick like that?

  • Whiskey and marmalade? That’s genius 😊

  • The first time was a heroic failure – top marks the second time 😉

    • A great expression MD, “Heroic failure”.

  • That’s a good looking pud there Conor.
    I was just saying at work today that I can’t really stand the taste of marmalade even when it’s in something sweet (we were talking about muffins), but this looks and sounds mighty tempting… I wouldn’t eat it mind you, but it does sound tempting 🙂

    • The thought of marmalade muffins makes me feel queasy. Not my cuppa at all. This works well with any gooey jam type substance. Don’t let the marmalade put you off.

  • Trial and error, Conor, that’s what life’s about! And the result this time looks gorgeous and very tempting./ M. 🙂

    • Thanks Meggie. I enjoyed it no end, in the end.

  • That would be the death of me Conor – my Mother in Law (God rest her soul) would laugh her ass off at me attempting the finer more feminine arts of baking!! God bless you!

    • The art of steaming. Not that I’m calling you anything, like….

  • If at first you don’t succeed… Looks delicious! And now I’m regretting that all those years ago when we visited Monbazillac we really didn’t appreciate it.

    • Lovely spot. We had our lunch sitting on a battlement, looking down the valley of vines and trees. Going back in July.

  • A timely post for me – I have a bunch of home-made marmalade that I need to get rid of, I mean, need to use for some good purpose, haha! I had no idea so many people didn’t care for marmalade when I made it and refused it vehemently as I tried to “gift” some. I am a bit chagrined that I bought a cute little pudding mold a few years back (which I’ve used once) after seeing how beautifully your bowl worked!

    • Excellent application. My Mum used to make jams and marmalades. We used to scoff everything she made. I do know that gifting problem. I have suffered it with a big sack of fresh mackerel. Now, there’s an incentive to get rid of it quickly.

      I suggest you make a big pudding and use lots and lots of marmalade. It will be divine.
      Best,
      C

  • I must seek out this whiskey marmalade you speak of. This looks amazing!

    • Hi Debbie,
      Just add some whiskey to ordinary marmalade and stir until you get a nice dribbly consistency. Mmmmm….. Hic!

  • Conor, these photos are driving me crazy. For my own sanity, I think I need to make this pudding very soon. I’ve never baked with marmalade before, but I know it’ll be good.

    • Hi Dionne,
      For some reason, your comments are always held for approval. Given that they are always such nice comments, I can’t understand why.
      Best,
      Conor

  • Puds are not such an American thing. Jello brand packaged pudding doesn’t count. Yours looks delicious, love the golden color. I used to make steamed bread pudding and then I got lazy and began just baking it in a shallower dish, it is good but not the gooey custard like cakeyness that really makes it special. Think I shall have to revisit this one…

    • You should. It would be lovely to eat while a wild west wind is threatening your roof, during a cold night out there on Aran.

  • Oh god that looks good, particularly the last shot!

    • You gotta’ admire a decent cream pouring shot….

  • Whiskey marmalade? You mix the two together right? I would like to try this!

    • Yes Barb. There is no formula. Just until it seems right.

      • Thanks Conor! I will let you know how this turns out!

  • I love steamed puddings. They always remind me of my English grandmother who would make them frequently in the winter months. Her cat was also uncoincidentally named Marmalade (he was rather nasty, but that’s beside the point). It’s autumn here in Australia now so I will definitely bookmark this deliciousness for when the weather cools a little more!

  • I love steamed puddings. Have never made a marmalade one but have made them with golden syrup or mixed soft summer fruit. All with lashings and lashings of custard 🙂

    • Custard is the missing ingredient here Lorna. There’s something special about that combo of steamed pudding and custard that brings me right back to our childhood kitchen and enjoying that on a cold, wet evening.

  • Hi Conor
    I saw your recipe and I swear I will make it in my coming school holidays. It sounds wonderful. Years ago, I used to make a steamed pudding where the sponge had a little ground ginger in it and the bowl was lined with ornge slices poached until soft in a little water and sugar. It was great but ai lost the recipe and have been searching for one ever since. Maybe I can play around with your recicpe and get two for the price of one?

  • I made it yesterday and as everything was in Grammies I had to goggle to convert it into ozs it was a rough estimate and as I did not have Whisky marmalade I used normal marmalade and added Whisky to it, I did not use any foil I just baked it in water bath for only 15 mins and it was yummy, thanks will do it again in 2 days time as I am having visitors for lunch.

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