Steamed pudding, a traditional British dessert, is made from a sweet batter and cooked by steaming with hot water. It can be served with various sauces and flavors, including chocolate, lemon, or raspberry. Popular types include Christmas pudding, cranberry steamed pudding, steak and kidney pie, and Yorkshire pudding.
Many Americans aren’t familiar with steamed pudding, even though they may have been served it in a restaurant or as a guest and thought it was a type of pie. Steamed pudding begins with a thick, sweet batter which is poured into a dedicated pudding mold or other container modified to suit the purpose and cooked by steaming with hot water. Unlike the much more recent American creamy pudding, steamed puddings have a long and respected history in Britain and Europe.
Many types of steamed pudding are denser than a traditional pie, and hosts serve these puddings with chocolate, lemon, or raspberry sauce as foil for their thick, rich flavor. These puddings, originating in Great Britain, are built on a base of flour, grains or other grains with butter and in the case of sweet steamed puddings, sugar, molasses or honey. Some puddings include suet, which is a tough fat found around the organs in cows or sheep, and old-school steamed pudding aficionados are steadfast in the belief that nothing can be substituted.
One of the best-known types of steamed pudding is a Christmas pudding, similar to Christmas fruitcake. Christmas pudding is made from flour and breadcrumbs, various eggs, sugar and pork. A number of dried and candied fruits join in, most commonly raisins, currents and plums or cherries. Cooks also often add walnuts, pecans, almonds, or other nuts.
Spectacular for the holidays, as well as other occasions, cranberry steamed pudding is simpler than some others. In addition to dry ingredients like flour, sugar, and baking soda, this pudding contains fresh and dried cranberries and cinnamon. It is often served with a rich, buttery sauce.
One savory pudding that many cooks are familiar with, whether they’ve made it or not, is steak and kidney pie, a lunchtime favorite in British-style pubs around the world. Most recipes call for sirloin or other steak, beef or lamb kidney, mushrooms, onions, and flour. This type of steamed pudding often contains mushrooms and stout as well as a selection of fresh or dried herbs, such as rosemary and thyme.
Another popular British pudding is Yorkshire pudding. This batter-based treat resembles a popover and is often served with gravy and sliced meat, usually roast beef. It contains a number of eggs, all of which simultaneously encourage the batter to rise while keeping the inside of the pudding moist and creamy.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
